


(Love Is Our) Rebellion

by MechBull



Category: The Red Line (TV 2019)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-01-20 20:36:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21287804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MechBull/pseuds/MechBull
Summary: On some level, this is my imaginary season 2 fic, with things I would have liked and even some things I would have expected to see, in some form if not exactly like this. On another, far more honest level, this is a bunch of fluff and some smut, with the occasional angsty or H/C moment thrown in to pretend there’s a plot.
Relationships: Liam Bhatt/Daniel Calder
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This gets up to explicit, but mostly, it's Teen/Mature.
> 
> It’s sadly hilarious to me that I got through 5 years in 6 chapters for Iroquois but less than a year in this fic took me 14 chapters. Also, I recommend listening to Crowded Table by the Highwomen while reading this, as I basically had it on a loop while writing. It captures a lot of the heart of the show and this fic.
> 
> As far as I understand the timeline for the show, the shooting was supposed to take place at the end of February/early March, with D&J returning to school 6 months later, i.e. end of August/early September for the new school year, and then the election was in early November or so. Some of their clothing choices and the actual election dates for the 2019 Chicago alderman races don’t really match up with this in any way, but it’s what I’m going with.

The knock on her door and shout of her name pulled Jira out of sleep. She groaned, turning into her pillow. But she couldn’t protest for long; her dad had already started the countdown. When he got to 2, she threw the covers aside and sat up.

“I’m awake!”

“Hurry up, and I’ll cook you breakfast.”

“Do we have to go in today?” she whined. 

“Yes.” The sound of him walking away indicated he would not argue the point with her.

She sighed, standing and heading towards her bathroom. She had no idea what genius decided elections should be held on Tuesdays, but she did not like that person. They probably should have gone home much earlier, but the party was hopping and it was the first time in so long that they both felt happy and hopeful. And, well, Jira wasn’t stupid and she knew what the appeal of going to work today was for her dad. She didn’t have quite the same draw. 

She also wasn’t stupid and knew that was part of the reason behind her dad’s offer of breakfast. Usually, they’d stick with cereal or something, especially after a late night. But last night, once they were alone, she pretended she didn’t understand his attempts to talk, honestly claimed she was so tired she could barely function, and escaped to her room. He wouldn’t let her get away with that for long. 

So, no point in putting it off any further, she supposed. After she showered and got dressed, she braced herself and went downstairs. She almost snorted out loud when she saw chocolate chip French toast. Hmm. Her instincts had been to shut down any concern on his part, but she also wondered how long she could milk this and what she could get out of it. A new laptop, for instance…

The expression on his face – apprehension, cautious happiness, his own exhaustion – squashed that idea, though. She meant what she said the night before. He deserved something nice. 

“Milk?”

She nodded, even as she sat and pulled the plate closer. He poured the glass and placed it in front of her. Wrapping his palms around his coffee mug, he leaned on his elbows and took a breath, obviously preparing to speak.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Jira asked, cutting him off. It hadn’t been planned, so maybe she was still not quite as ready for this as she thought. 

“I, uh, I had something earlier,” he said. His gaze dropped from hers, and Jira immediately felt guilty. 

She took a bite, looking off to the side as she chewed. The first thing she saw, of course, was a picture of the three of them on the fridge. Jira swallowed, then sighed. She faced her dad again.

“It’s OK. We can talk about it, if you want to, but it’s OK. I meant what I said.”

He looked down, nodding. After a moment, he began talking again, “It’s…new. It might not turn into anything. We’re going to take it slow.”

While she appreciated the intention, she had a good feeling that it would turn into something. Both of them were too sincere about _everything_ to stay casual for too long. At least they were willing to pretend for a while so she could get used to the idea.

“It will be…an adjustment,” she admitted. 

“Mm-hmm,” her dad agreed. He rocked towards her a bit, turning urgent. “And I don’t expect you to – there’s no need to – I won’t push you – ”

“Dad.”

He exhaled sharply. “You can set the pace. I won’t invite him here, or force you two to spend time together. If he stays just your teacher, that’s fine. Although I – I hope that – ”

“Dad,” she interrupted again. “You two take it slow, and he and I will take it slow, and we’ll see where it goes. OK?”

He hesitated, then nodded. “OK.”

She hoped that was it for now, and she dug into her breakfast to show that she wasn’t really interested in talking anymore.

**

Liam gave up the pretense of maintaining control over the last class of the day about 15 minutes from the bell. They were facing a four-day weekend, and the literary greats of the past didn’t stand a chance against that. So, he had them journal about their holiday plans and pretended he didn’t notice most of the students were staring at their phones or the clock or quietly talking to each other.

Hell, he was pretty excited for the break too. His sister was coming into town for Thanksgiving, and he hadn’t seen her in several months.

On the other hand, family obligations would keep him apart from Daniel too. He was getting a little frustrated, to be honest. They had agreed early on that they wouldn’t reveal anything at work; they didn’t need to be fodder for the staff _or_ student gossip mills any more than they probably already were. Plus, they were professionals. Chats and coffee runs were fine. More…_romantic_ interactions wouldn’t be appropriate. But in the couple weeks since the election party, they’d only been able to get together for one lunch date and one art show at his friends’ gallery. Daniel told him that it’d be a while before he felt comfortable bringing Liam to the house, and he was more than fine with that. Truthfully, he was a little gun-shy about inviting Daniel back to his place again. They were taking it slow, after all, and that wasn’t just because of _Daniel’s_ hesitation. But there was a difference between slow and glacial. They’d kissed on each date, in greeting and in goodbye, but neither setting lent itself to anything more heated than quick pecks.

So…frustration. For both physical and emotional reasons.

The bell rang, breaking him out of his thoughts. He felt himself blushing when he realized that he’d been thinking for so long about how badly he wanted to kiss Daniel and how much he’d miss him when they were only going to be apart for a few days. He covered up his embarrassment by speaking loudly over the sound of chairs scraping across the floor and backpack zippers opening and closing, reminding the students that final exams would not be too long after the break, so they shouldn’t let their brains succumb completely to turkey comas. 

He focused on his own desk then, sorting his papers and packing up his stuff so he could get out at a reasonable time too. It took him a second to realize there was still a student in the room. It surprised him even more that it was Jira. She had made something of a point to not be alone with him, and he knew from Daniel that she was still not as comfortable with everything as she was pretending she was. He stared at her for a moment, not sure what was happening now or what he should say. 

“Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Bhatt,” she finally said.

He couldn’t stop his smile. “You too, Jira. You’re going to Tia’s, right?”

She narrowed her eyes a bit, but moved past whatever she felt at him knowing that. “Yes. What about you?”

He knew he shouldn’t be surprised or hurt that she would ask him that. It wasn’t like Daniel had any reason to tell her his plans, and he neither expected nor was offered an invitation to their family gathering, not this early. Some small part of him still felt…some kind of way about it, though. He took a page from her book and shut that feeling down quickly. 

“Thanksgiving’s pretty big with my parents,” he explained. “Something about being immigrants and starting a new life here, I guess. The house will be packed with relatives.”

She nodded, looking off to the side. He wondered why he felt the need to share all that with her. They were both silent for another minute, long enough for it to become increasingly uncomfortable. 

“Well, have fun,” she finally said, before rushing out of the room.

“Yeah,” he replied, turning to watch her leave. “See you Monday,” he called after her.

**

The sound of laughter as Jira and Benny play-wrestled by the couch almost drowned out the adult conversation. Daniel, cringing at yet another very shrill shriek, spared a moment to be thankful they never entertained the notion of adopting a second kid. Being a father was the most important thing in the world to him, but one was enough. He was glad that Jira got along so well with her new little brother, but he was also glad they got to leave him with Tia and Ethan when they left.

In the kitchen, they were working as a pretty efficient team. Daniel was carving the turkey, while Tia mashed the potatoes and Ethan set the table. They had caught up on a lot already, including jobs and the upcoming swearing-in ceremony and Daniel’s first board meeting with Equality Chicago. The next conversation topic caught him by surprise, though.

“How are things going with you and Mr. Bhatt?” Tia asked, far too casually as she brought the potato bowl over to the table. 

Daniel looked up, grateful that he hadn’t cut his finger off at the shock of the question. Tia watched him curiously, reaching out to grab her wine glass and taking a sip without ever taking her eyes off him. Daniel glanced at Ethan, who was shaking his head and laughing.

“You better answer her, ‘cause she’ll just keep asking,” Ethan warned him.

He paused for one more second. “Uh, fine,” he finally said. 

“That’s all you’re going to say?”

He put the knife down and picked up the plate of sliced turkey. “That’s all I’m saying,” he confirmed with a laugh. 

Tia harrumphed, but he was saved by the front door opening. 

“I’m here, I’m here!” Suzanne called out. “And I have pie.”

“Perfect timing,” Daniel replied, looking over to grin at Ethan as he guffawed in response.

**

Liam and Laila were hiding in the den away from their aunties and uncles and cousins, waiting for the shout that the food was ready. They’d be on cleaning duty in punishment, but it was worth it to have a few minutes to catch up without the crush of relatives on all sides.

“Did you know that mom and dad have a framed copy of the newspaper pic of your arrest in the hall?”

Liam snorted. He nodded as he took a sip of his drink, trying not to spill it or choke considering he was sprawled on the couch. “I am aware,” he confirmed.

“They’re hella proud,” Laila observed, laughing. 

“Did you just use the non-word hella? You _have_ to move out of California.”

She just laughed again. He knew she knew his response had been half about the abuse of the English language and half about wanting her closer. Not that he could blame her for the move. She had a great job and got to live somewhere where it wasn’t already freezing cold this early in the season. 

A moment of companionable silence passed before she spoke again. Her tone made him more than a bit nervous. 

“So…”

“Yes?”

“How long have you been sleeping with him?”

He choked that time, coughing loudly. Finally, he was able to speak. “Who?” he deflected.

Her expression told him it hadn’t worked. Liam sighed.

“I’m not.” He meant it to be dismissive, but it came out more disappointed, which only made her laugh louder. He groaned and sat up. “OK, yes. We did once, several weeks ago, when things were very…messed up. We probably will again. I hope we will again. It’s…new, and it’s complicated, and – ”

“Do Mom and Dad know?”

“_No._”

“Hmm, I was wondering what we were going to talk about at dinner with the family today.”

“Laila.”

“This is definitely better than Uncle Rajesh’s knee replacement.”

“Laila.”

Just then, a shout came down the hall.

“Oh!” She jumped up, shooting him a grin. “Food’s ready.”

“Laila!” 

He hurried after her, half-afraid she’d been serious. And her sly grins throughout the dinner just before she began to speak about completely unrelated topics gave him mini heart attacks every time. But that was nothing compared to the utter embarrassment and slight terror he felt when his cousin – still smug about getting married earlier in the year – started grilling all the single adults about their love lives. He didn’t answer quickly enough when it came to his turn and ended up accidentally spilling the beans himself. And while he wouldn’t reveal the name or anything else about his _new boyfriend_, as they all insisted on sing-songing whenever they said it, it was still the most horrifying Thanksgiving since the one after he’d come out.

**

Daniel closed his eyes, taking a quick standing-nap as the pot finishing brewing. At the sound of the lounge door opening, he opened them again, turning to see who had entered. He grinned, the sight of Liam walking into the room a welcome pick-me-up.

Liam came closer, not dropping eye contact until he was right next to Daniel. 

“Hi,” he murmured, reaching up to the shelf to grab his own mug.

Daniel couldn’t help it. He let himself forget everything they had agreed. He glanced around quickly, then leaned forward to steal a kiss that lingered a little longer than it should have, considering the risk. Liam inhaled sharply, jerking his head back to stare at him.

“I missed you,” Daniel whispered.

“It’s been four days,” Liam reminded him, a smile peeking at the corners of the lips Daniel desperately wanted to taste again. 

“Who knew four days could be so unbearably long?” he asked. 

Liam shook his head, grinning as he looked away and focused on pouring coffee into both their cups. Daniel let a little fake petulance into his voice as he continued the conversation.

“You didn’t miss me?”

“Maybe a little,” he said, darting in to peck Daniel’s mouth before grabbing his mug and walking towards the door again. 

If he wasn’t so far away, or holding a cup of burning hot liquid, or – most importantly – in their place of employment, Daniel would consider chasing after him and pulling him into a real kiss. He settled for teasing again.

“Tia wouldn’t stop asking about us.”

“Hmm,” Liam observed. “Neither would my parents.”

All humor dropped from Daniel’s face and he felt his heart begin to pound. Things suddenly felt very serious. Parents. 

“Parents?” he asked, trying not to let his voice squeak.

Liam winked and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a little hesitant about diving into Liam’s family with this story. I’ve tried to do some quick research on everything from names to likely attitudes and experiences, but none of that is something I’m very familiar with, and I also recognize that it wouldn’t be a monolithic thing anyway. Feel free to contact me if there’s anything wrong and especially if there is anything offensive. I also know that Liam’s comments about his family could easily be interpreted to mean that his mother is dead, but they’re phrased just ambiguously enough and I want her around for this fic, so she is.


	2. Chapter 2

“Oooh!”

As Liam walked into the teacher’s lounge, the obnoxious taunt surprised him almost as much as his near-collision with Daniel, who was walking out. Liam unconsciously put a hand out to steady him, regretting the move as soon as he felt Daniel’s warm torso through the shirt beneath his palm. They made eye contact – briefly, but long enough for Liam to know that Daniel also felt a frisson of attraction – and then angled slightly to let each other past.

“Not so fast!” said the shop teacher, who had been the one to call out earlier. He pointed up at the door. 

Liam glanced up. He had noticed already that, sometime since the day before, Christmas decorations had been _vomited_ all over the lounge, but he hadn’t noticed the mistletoe hanging from the door. He flushed with embarrassment and his breathing turned a little shallow. 

“Well, that’s a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen,” Daniel observed pointedly. 

Liam shot a smile at Daniel, lifting his eyebrows in agreement. It was also a pretty quick way for their no-PDA agreement to be broken. Again. 

“Gotta follow the rules,” Prescott from the Science department argued, laughing. 

“No, I ‘gotta’ get coffee so I can make it through remedial English this afternoon. You should consider attending.”

Daniel snorted, even as the gym teacher started chanting _kiss kiss kiss_. With a put-upon sigh that Liam would tease him for later, Daniel looked at their colleagues.

“You all are the worst,” he observed, before “surprising” Liam with a quick peck to the corner of his lips. 

It took most of his willpower to not blush and the rest of it to not turn into the contact in order to make it a real kiss. 

“Take that down before the principal sees it,” Daniel ordered, pointing at the mistletoe as he walked out. 

“Who do you think put it up?” the school secretary called after him rhetorically.

Liam shook his head as he headed for the coffee pot. He steadfastly refused to acknowledge that everyone else in the room was now staring at him. 

He wondered all day, in the back of his mind, if there had been something more to the childish prank. He asked Daniel if he thought as much, when they walked to his car long after everyone else had left the school building. They had lingered for two reasons – first, because they didn’t want anyone to spot them leave together, and second, because their dinner reservations weren’t until 8. 

“You mean, do I think they put it up there on purpose?”

Liam nodded.

“To make us kiss each other? Do you think our co-workers ship us?”

Liam smiled, shaking his head. “OK, when you say it out loud… Also, I can’t believe you know what shipping means.”

“I’m old; I’m not dead. Not to mention, I _do_ have a teenage daughter. What’s your excuse?”

“Fair enough,” Liam allowed, as he pulled open his car door. 

They both climbed in, and Liam focused on turning the key and thinking positive thoughts while the cold engine struggled to life. Daniel’s hand covering his came as something of a surprise, and he turned to look at him questioningly. He burst into laughter when he saw Daniel holding the sprig of mistletoe above their heads with his other hand and smirking in challenge.

“I think we can do much better than earlier.”

“Where did you get that?”

“I stole it from the lounge. Have to do something while the car is warming up.” 

Liam shook his head, still smiling. “And you think that I’m just going to ‘follow the rules’ now when you had to be tricked and coerced into even a weak-ass kiss earlier today?’

“Oh, weak-ass, huh? Now I have to defend my prowess.”

Liam laughed as Daniel closed the distance between them, wrapping him up in his arms and pulling him into one hell of a kiss. His laughter didn’t last long, as they soon were making out quite enthusiastically. They definitely warmed up the car. 

So much so they were 20 minutes late to dinner.

**

Over the running water, Daniel heard the bathroom door open and close, but since he had just run his damp hands down his face, he didn’t see who entered. He figured it out quickly, however, when the new arrival goosed him, fingers sliding along the seam of his pants between his legs. Daniel jumped, spinning around and needlessly confirming they were alone before huffing at Liam in exasperation.

“What was that for?”

“Couldn’t resist,” Liam replied with a smirk, even as he stepped around Daniel towards the neighboring sink. “You’re lucky I didn’t do that when I saw you by the water fountain earlier.”

Daniel barked a laugh, but turned serious quickly as he continued to stare at Liam. He began walking closer, reaching out to put his slightly drier hand on Liam’s waist. He backed him up until he hit the wall next to the paper towel dispenser. Liam’s expression of anticipation and desire was too much to resist and he leaned in to kiss him hard and fast, both of them inhaling sharply through their noses. Their lower bodies came into contact moments after their mouths, and Daniel discovered he wasn’t the only one starting to respond rather predictably. But he knew he couldn’t let it continue any further, not then anyway. So, he pulled away, reaching out to take a piece of towel from the dispenser as he did. He winked at Liam as he put more distance between them. 

Just in time, too, as the door opened again, and Leland from the biology department walked in. Liam turned back to face the sink and Daniel left the bathroom, forcing himself not to look back. 

Ten minutes later, he got a text from Liam. _Suppose we have to be a bit more serious about this no PDA at work thing. Or at least more careful… ;)_

_You started it._ Daniel texted back childishly. He thought about following it up with another message, something like asking when they could finish it. But he didn’t know if it was too early yet, if Liam needed more time in the taking-it-slow stage. Or for that matter, if he did. His libido had made its vote loud and clear often enough, but his brain needed to take charge on this one.

_Are you free for dinner this evening?_ Liam’s text broke Daniel out of his uncertainty, but it also left him feeling slightly frustrated, even disappointed. The offer was enticing, but not nearly as much as a more overt one would have been.

_Jira and I are discussing her final college picks tonight. This weekend? _

_It’s a date._

Daniel smiled at the phone screen and the last message a little longer than was strictly necessary. He felt a bit like a high school student himself. But, as the bell rang and actual students began to file into the halls, he pocketed his phone and reminded himself he was supposed to be working, not imagining what it would have been like if no one had come into the bathroom and he had dragged Liam into the stall instead.

**

“OK, we agreed I’d pick my top five,” Jira needlessly narrated, as she began what appeared to be a rehearsed presentation. “I ultimately decided on four.”

They were sitting at the dining room table, opposite each other. Daniel had a glass of wine, and Jira had several college brochures in front of her. She had done her homework, that was for sure. The first one she gave him, Emory, wasn’t a surprise but it did send a pang through his heart. The thought of her being so far away was part of it, but so was knowing it had been on her list all her life. It was where Harrison had done his undergrad before coming to Chicago for his med school and residency.

Howard had never been on the list before, but it was still somewhat unsurprising. He knew how much she was embracing learning about her heritage and growing into an activist. 

Daniel took a sip of his wine, wondering if all her choices would be in other states. He supposed he was lucky that she hadn’t suggested any out of the country yet. 

Jira took a breath and then spread her last two booklets in front of him. “These are my top choices.”

He looked at them – Northwestern and UIC. Blinking slowly, he shook his head. Leaning closer across the table, he reached out for her hands.

“Those are both good schools,” he observed, “but…you’ve never talked about them before.”

“I know,” she replied, turning her hands around to intertwine their fingers. “I used to think that I wanted to get away from you and Dad. That I needed to, in order to really grow up. But – well, I’ve grown up a lot this year. More than I should have had to. I don’t want to go away anymore and I don’t want you to be alone. I want to stay by you.” 

“I can’t let you give up – I’ll be fine, honey. I promise.”

“It’s not just that. I’m also just beginning to know Tia. I want to see Benny grow up. My family is here. My home is here. I want to keep working with you to make it a better one for everyone.”

Daniel nodded slowly. “OK,” he agreed. “But wait to see where you get accepted. We’ll do campus tours and then you decide based on what’s right for _you_.”

“Fine.”

“And you’re still living in the dorms, no matter where you go.”

“Oh. Absolutely.”

Daniel smiled, lifting one of her hands and kissing it. He hoped his relief wasn’t too apparent.

**

Jira yawned. She was nearly an adult now, and of course did not believe in Santa, but that didn’t stop her from waking up early to go find the presents under the tree. It was bittersweet this year, the smaller pile of presents only highlighting the glaring absence of her dad. They had decided to take the morning for themselves, to remember and to grieve, to share a rough day with each other because no one else could really understand or make it better. They would go to Tia’s later and bring presents and tease Benny about Santa Claus. But, for now, Jira was content leaning against her dad, staring at the unwrapped presents and the snow falling outside the window beside the tree.

Her dad sipped from his coffee and wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders. He had been very quiet all morning. Jira had finally learned, after too long of not understanding each other, that just because he didn’t always speak about his feelings, it didn’t mean he didn’t have them. 

“Are you OK?” she wondered.

“Yeah. Just…sad, I guess. Missing him.”

“Dad loved Christmas.”

“I’m just glad I don’t have to pretend to like eggnog anymore.”

Jira laughed. “He didn’t like it either. I don’t know why he always made it. We could have just had hot chocolate.”

“Tradition, Jira! Tradition,” he reminded her in his best Harrison voice. 

“That was an excellent impression.” 

They both chuckled, then fell silent again. Jira stared at the lights on the tree, zoning out as she thought about her dad, about all the things that had happened the last year, about all the things that were going to change this next year. After a long pause, she asked something she had been wondering about, finally deciding to let it be her last present of the day if the answer was yes. “Did you want to invite him over later?”

“Who?” Her dad asked, before realizing. “Liam?”

“Yeah.”

“No,” he responded quickly but sincerely. “No, he knew I wanted to spend the day with you. Besides, Christmas isn’t really a thing for his family, so he doesn’t feel like he’s missing out on anything.”

Jira furrowed her brow. “He’s given gifts and stuff before. There were decorations in his classroom.”

“It’s kind of hard to get out of those things, even or especially at the school. Don’t believe anyone who says there’s a war on Christmas.”

“True enough, I guess. But he also doesn’t really – I mean he doesn’t seem like he’s very – ”

“Observant?” her dad offered, and Jira nodded. “He’s not,” he continued. “His parents actively practice, but they grudgingly accept that he and his sister are more culturally Muslim than devoutly religious. They have a lot of navigating to do as first-generation children. You two could probably talk a lot about figuring out those kinds of intersections.”

Jira hummed but otherwise did not acknowledge the subtle suggestion that she should try to get to know Mr. Bhatt on a more personal level. She still didn’t think she was quite there yet. It was hard enough to offer that he come over, and she was secretly glad that her dad didn’t take her up on it. So, she simply sighed and changed the subject.

“I’m going to get dressed. Thanks for the gifts.”

Her dad didn’t respond, but she could feel him watch her as she stood and walked out of the room.

**

“Hey,” Liam said, somewhat breathlessly considering he had just almost dropped his phone while attempting to answer it and had to do a rather acrobatic save to catch it. He stuck his mail under his elbow and used his free hand to unlock his front door. “How was the meeting? Sorry I had to miss it.”

“Hi. Fine. We just talked about the New Year’s party.”

Liam tried not to smile. Daniel was cutting it awfully close, and he had begun to wonder whether he was actually going to ask him to it or if he just assumed that they were going together. Maybe after 20 years of having an obvious plus-one to Equality Chicago parties and every other possible event, he had forgotten that sometimes asking was nice. Of course, he could have just asked Daniel himself but…damn it, he wanted to be wooed. 

“Actually,” Daniel continued, “it was kind of funny. Jack Connelly asked if I wanted to go with him.”

The apartment door closing behind him was a strange sort of punctuation to the sentence, and Liam blinked. He put the mail down and waited for more. For something that was _kind of funny_, he didn’t feel very much like laughing. In fact, he was mostly remembering the old saying about assumptions.

When Daniel didn’t say anything else, Liam finally responded. It was perhaps meant to be sarcastic, continuing the theme of _ha ha isn’t that hilarious?_ but it felt notably strained. “What did you say?”

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked, with a short laugh. “I said no.”

“Why?” Liam asked before he could stop himself. He leaned back against the door, closing his eyes and swallowing.

“_Why?_” 

“We haven’t talked about being exclusive,” Liam pointed out, recognizing the self-sabotage even as he was entirely unable to stop himself from speaking. “We haven’t even slept together. Again.” He wondered if that sounded as bitter as it felt.

“Are…are you seeing other people?”

“No.”

There was a pause, and Liam wished he could see Daniel’s face. He wanted to know what he was thinking right now. “I’m a bit confused,” Daniel finally said. “I thought we – ”

“Look,” Liam cut him off. He felt vaguely light-headed. “I just…don’t want to be a rebound, you know?” He suddenly realized that was what this was all about even as he said it. He still couldn’t quite shake the feeling of _not what he really wanted_ that he had when he threw Daniel’s coat at him that wonderful, horrible afternoon. He spoke again, faster and over Daniel’s attempts to respond. “You wouldn’t have brought it up if it was truly nothing, and maybe it’s worth seeing if there’s something there with Connelly before we let things go too far between us. I don’t want you to feel obligated to me just because of…everything.”

A very pointed silence followed, and Liam held his breath.

“Fine, if that’s what you want,” Daniel said, all clipped consonants. 

“See you next week at school,” Liam bit back, hanging up the phone quickly.

He rocked his head back, knocking it against the door as he swore under his breath. He had been really looking forward to that party too. He even had hoped, probably vainly, that Daniel would kiss him at midnight, out in public in front of people.

**

Liam took a sip of his beer and clicked his remote some more, trying to find something on Netflix. The knock at his door was unexpected, and he turned to stare at it for a long moment before standing up to answer it. He hadn’t been crying, exactly, but he knew his eyes were red and his hair was disheveled and he was in no shape to be answering the door to anyone. But really, no one should be knocking on his door at 10:30 on New Year’s Eve, anyway, so…

He inhaled sharply when he opened the door to reveal Daniel in a tux, a loose bow tie hanging from his neck. He grabbed each side of the doorframe and leaned in slightly, and he looked about as rough as Liam felt. Liam struggled to say something but couldn’t find any words before Daniel finally spoke.

“You’re not a rebound,” he said, and that whole not crying thing that Liam had struggled with all night became difficult again. “And I want to be exclusive.”

Liam didn’t know what to say (besides _me too!_) and so rather stupidly, he asked, “What about Connelly?” But what he meant was _you left the party to come find me?_

“We teach high school; we’re not in it. I told you about him because it was something that happened and I thought you should know, not to make you jealous or play chicken or something. I wanted to go with you tonight.” 

“I wanted to go with you too,” Liam confessed. “You’re right; I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know. We’ve barely gotten off the ground here. I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks between work and holidays and I just wanted to have this one night with you. I wanted to kiss you at midnight.”

Daniel sighed, looking away for a moment before focusing on Liam again. “Why didn’t you just say so?”

Liam breathed out a pained laugh, feeling embarrassed. “I didn’t think I’d have to ask if my boyfriend wanted to go to a party with me or some other guy.”

“Boyfriend?” Daniel asked, a smile growing on his face.

Liam rolled his eyes, suddenly annoyed. He turned away but didn’t close the door. “That’s what you took from that? I swear, Daniel – ”

The door closed, cutting him off, and Liam faced Daniel again. He suddenly realized that they were alone, in his apartment. Perhaps the thrill of that explained why he couldn’t quite understand why Daniel was still grinning like a damn loon. 

“I’m still kind of pissed at you,” he pointed out in case Daniel hadn’t figured that out.

“I know,” Daniel acknowledged, still beaming. “I’m really excited about that.”

That was unexpected enough it made Liam pause. He twitched his head curiously and waited for Daniel to continue.

“I’m just…happy that you feel like you can get angry with me now,” Daniel explained, stepping closer. It took a moment, but Liam nodded in understanding, recalling the conversation in the police station. Daniel moved even closer, and Liam refused to back up. “Truth is, Harrison and I never fought, but that doesn’t mean we never should have. You’re allowed to get pissed. You’re allowed to want things,” Daniel reminded him. “You’re allowed to ask for them. Now would you please make some demands of me already?”

He was near enough now that Liam could reach out and touch him, so he did. He tugged lightly on the end of the bow tie, then rested his hand on Daniel’s chest. After a moment, he made eye contact and just barely nodded. “I want you to spend the night.”

“OK,” Daniel agreed easily. “I want to, too.”

Liam slid his hand up until it hooked around the back of Daniel’s neck. “You will? You can?”

“We’re not in high school,” Daniel repeated his earlier statement, now with a clear teasing edge to it. “I don’t have a curfew.”

“But Jira?”

“Staying at Riley’s tonight. I’m all yours.”

Liam couldn’t really come up with a response to that, so he simply pulled Daniel in for a kiss. And he was still kissing him, albeit naked and in bed, when the clock struck midnight.


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel sighed in contentment, surprised as always that Liam had found a couch that was serendipitously long enough for him to stretch out and just deep enough for them both to lie on it. He was currently squeezed between Liam and the back of the couch, and his arm was tingling a bit from lack of blood flow as he propped his head up, but he really wouldn’t rather be anywhere else at the moment. He glanced down at Liam, smiling as he watched him watch the TV. Daniel had lost his grasp on the movie’s plot a long time ago, because he was much more invested in paying attention to Liam. 

“Should I just shut it off?” Liam asked, his teasing tone making it obvious he was clearly aware where Daniel was looking. 

“No, I’m watching.”

“You are not.”

“Can I help it that you’re so distracting?”

Liam grinned, twisting around to lie on his back. Daniel shifted to give him room, taking advantage of the fact that the new position required him to hook one leg over Liam’s and to rest his hand on Liam’s torso. Liam smiled up at him, and Daniel gazed back. 

“You picked it out,” Liam reminded him. 

Daniel shrugged impishly, but his smile faded as Liam continued to look up at him. He shifted his weight, propping himself up on his forearm to position himself more squarely above Liam. Liam sighed, reaching one hand up to brush through Daniel’s hair.

“When do you have to be home?” he asked, with more than a little yearning. 

Daniel grinned. He’d been waiting for Liam to ask him something like that all evening. “Not ‘til the morning.”

Liam cocked an eyebrow, hope and realization dawning on his face.

“She’s spending the night at Tia’s,” Daniel answered the unasked question. 

“Hmm,” Liam observed. “Have you noticed that she’s been having a lot of sleepovers lately? You think she knows what you do those nights?”

Daniel chuckled. Maybe she was aware of it; maybe she was even taking advantage of it. He didn’t really care. “Gift horse,” was his only reply before he lowered down and captured Liam in a kiss. 

Things turned heated fast, and soon enough, Daniel’s shirt was off and his pulse was racing. He fumbled with the buttons of Liam’s shirt, but was having little luck considering Liam had unfastened his pants and was slipping his hand between the loose flaps. Liam slid his other hand around and down the back of his pants, squeezing the flesh of Daniel’s ass before pulling him closer. Daniel pressed his hips down, circling lightly to drag his hardening cock along Liam’s. 

And then he backed away, breathing roughly but feeling almost desperate to ask for what he’d been thinking about for a while now. 

“What? What is it?” Liam wondered breathlessly, trying to kiss Daniel again and clearly frustrated by the way he refused to let him.

Daniel shook his head, finally forcing himself to just _say it_. “The first time we – you said you’d go either way.”

It wasn’t the most elegant statement he’d ever made, and if he weren’t so simultaneously aroused and anxious, he’d probably be more embarrassed about it. But, after a small double take, Liam smiled, all cat with the canary as he realized what Daniel was trying to ask.

“Mm-hmm,” he confirmed, the sound somehow dripping with sex. He emphasized the response by spreading his legs just enough for Daniel to fall between them more snugly. 

Daniel breathed out, his eyes closing at the sensation. But he couldn’t move, paralyzed by apprehension. After a moment, Liam said his name, more concerned than anything else. Daniel opened his eyes, finding Liam’s staring back at him. 

“I’ve – ” he attempted to speak, his voice breaking. “I’ve never – ”

There was a pause, and then Liam caught on. “Oh.” 

Daniel felt his cheeks turn hot with the flush of unnecessary but unstoppable embarrassment. He sighed, backing off Liam and turning to his side as he realized they’d probably have to talk about this. He probably shouldn’t have said anything, but as much as he wanted to just _do_ it, he was more than a little afraid of not being very good at it and having to explain why anyway. 

He took some comfort from the fact that Liam was just watching him, waiting to follow his lead. Daniel ran a hand through his hair and sighed. 

“With the, ah, _handful_ of guys before Harrison,” he began, wondering if this conversation topic was going to kill the mood more than anything else. He forced himself to continue, despite the awkwardness, “and even early on with him, I never felt comfortable or experienced enough to…ask for things in bed. Maybe it was some kind of Freudian daddy issue thing, I don’t know, but I let them take control. And Harrison, he was giving and secure – but he still was a black man who came out in a time and place where the messages of masculinity meant there were certain things he wasn’t…”

Daniel scrubbed at his face, trying to escape the feeling that he was revealing things he shouldn’t, that talking about Harrison like this was disrespectful to him as well as damaging to his delicate new thing with Liam. But Liam’s hand touched his shoulder and slid over, coming to rest low on his neck. He made eye contact with Liam and breathed in and out slowly. Then, he started talking again. 

“Eventually, we just fell into this sort of…stereotypical dynamic where I was the homemaker and the primary caretaker and that extended into the bedroom where, more often than not, I tended to be…submissive, I guess.”

Liam caressed his fingers across Daniel’s collarbone, and offered him a small, vaguely teasing smile. “I don’t get that vibe from you,” he observed softly, then added in a joking tone, “Bossy bottom might be a more accurate term.”

Daniel burst out laughing, more in relief at the tension breaking than the comment itself. He eventually sobered and nodded in acknowledgment. “It was what helped make our marriage work, and I didn’t hate it, but if I’m honest, it didn’t always work for me, in the bedroom or out of it. And you and I…we’re still trying to figure out _our_ dynamic. I guess I – I feel like you’re open to experimenting with that, so maybe I’m a little more…I don’t know.”

He stared at Liam, waiting for a response, and after a long pause, Liam nodded. “I am _more than_ open to experimentation,” he confirmed. Then he grinned, “And that was a very long and convoluted way of asking if you can put your cock up my ass when you already know the answer is yes, so can we get on with it already?”

“Yeah. Yes. Absolutely.” 

Liam unexpectedly pushed Daniel away rather than pulling him closer, and it took Daniel a second to realize he was getting off the couch. He let Liam tug him up and lead him toward the bedroom. Liam glanced over his shoulder at Daniel and grinned.

“Not often you get to be a guy’s first at our ages,” he pointed out, winking.

He chose not to respond to the joke, more intently focused on getting them both undressed the rest of the way and into bed. As he did so, Liam smiled against his mouth, more sharing breath than kissing. It was hot and intimate and it spurred Daniel on. They fell onto the mattress, and Liam clung to him, tugging him and repositioning them both on the bed. Daniel lowered himself onto Liam, and they both groaned as their naked skin came into contact. 

Liam’s hands went wandering, smoothing over Daniel’s torso and waist before landing on his ass. He kneaded the muscle, encouraging Daniel to begin to rock against him. But it wasn’t enough. Daniel moved away, doing his best to ignore Liam’s grumbling, and he reached for the bedside table. He knew what was in the drawer, of course, but it had never been used in this way before. He fumbled a bit from nerves, a condom dropping onto the floor before he managed to bring one back to the bed. It took him two tries to flip the top of the bottle of lube, and he spilled some before getting any onto his hand. 

He focused on Liam again, who was looking back at him with a little bit of fond amusement and a lot of lust. Daniel swallowed and moved closer, not breaking eye contact. He reached down, waiting for Liam to spread his legs and nod. Considering how impatient and urgent they had been up to that point, it was a little surprising how things slowed down. But the barely perceptible twitches on Liam’s face, the way his breathing turned deeper and unsteady as Daniel prepared him, the softly encouraging grunt when Daniel pressed inside him, and the flexing of his muscles as he began to arch up to meet him – all of it was too important to rush through and miss. 

They held eye contact as they moved together. Daniel shuddered at the unfamiliar sensations. He exhaled, dropping lower to kiss Liam again. He wasn’t sure which of them was setting the slow pace, which was unbearable torture and pleasure, but he certainly had no intention of changing it any time soon. He didn’t want this to end, and he struggled not to come too early. The only sounds in the room, besides the slide and slap of their skin, were choked-out not-quite-words and Liam occasionally whispering his name. 

But it couldn’t last forever. Liam came first, his release splashing over the hand that he had snuck between their bodies. The sight and feel of his orgasm and the sound of his moans were too much, setting Daniel off as well. He dropped down once he finished, breathing heavily and fighting a strange urge to cry. He buried his face in the groove of Liam’s neck, smelling his sweat and feeling his pulse pounding. 

After a long moment, Liam was the first to find his voice. “Successful experiment?”

Daniel nodded without looking up, not quite able to laugh about it. If he were honest, it felt a little too much like making love, but he wasn’t sure either of them was ready to acknowledge that. “I didn’t hate it,” he finally managed to say.

**

Liam smiled to himself, turning around under the hot water streaming from the shower head and reaching out for his shampoo. Before he could grab it though, he heard the door of the tub open and close. His smile turned wider. Daniel had been sound asleep when he left him in bed, but he couldn’t feel too guilty about apparently waking him up. Arms wrapped around him and pulled him close, and he could feel that Daniel was up in more ways than one.

“Morning,” Liam murmured, tilting his head to the side as Daniel started kissing his neck. “Sleep well?”

“Mmm.”

He chuckled, starting to turn around so he could face Daniel and kiss him properly.

“Mm-mm.” Daniel stopped him, pushing at his shoulder until he was facing the wall again. He placed his hands on Liam’s hips and pulled until his cock, already covered in a condom, slid along the crack of Liam’s ass. 

“Oh.” He wasn’t sure if he meant that as an _I see_ or a _Well, that was unexpected_, but Daniel took it as something closer to _Yes, now_.

Any hesitation or uncertainty Daniel had felt the previous night was long gone, and he was inside Liam quicker than he would have expected. Liam braced one arm against the tile, pushing his lower body back. Daniel was plastered against him, close enough for Liam to reach behind himself and grip between Daniel’s neck and shoulder. He squeezed his hand with each thrust, feeling Daniel’s muscles work everywhere they came into contact. The water streamed down their bodies, creating friction some places and making the slide easier in others. Liam had never been more grateful for waterproof lube. Daniel bent his knees slightly, entering him at a new angle that made him cry out.

“Good?” Daniel asked, breathless.

Liam nodded frantically. “So good. Fuck, don't stop.” 

He didn’t, and unfortunately quickly, Liam slipped as he came, nearly falling and jamming his elbow against the wall as he caught himself. Daniel managed to stay inside him, though, and thrust at least two or three more times before he climaxed. Liam collapsed against the wall, barely able to stand. It was only Daniel’s weight almost crushing him that held him up. Liam looked down, watching the water – which was starting to get noticeably cold – swirl down the drain. 

Eventually, Daniel pulled out and stepped back. Liam flopped around to lean against the wall. Daniel closed the distance between them again and finally they were able to kiss. Once they separated, Liam sighed. He wrapped one arm around Daniel’s neck in a loose hug, even as he stretched down to shut off the water. They’d have to let it warm up again before taking a real shower. 

Liam didn’t want to think about that too much, because as soon as they _did_, Daniel would probably have to go home.

Instead, he simply said, “You’re a fucking natural.”

“Or a natural at fucking?” Daniel joked.

Liam laughed, nodding in acknowledgment of how well he unintentionally set Daniel up for that one. “We’re going to have a lot of fun experimenting, I think.”

If the expression Daniel gave him was a little closer to tender than tempted, they both pretended not to notice.

**

Jira tried to make her bite of cereal as eloquent as possible when her dad walked into the kitchen. He seemed surprised to see her, and stared at her curiously as he put his keys on the table and headed over to start the coffee.

In the end, she lost the little battle and was the first to speak. But she didn’t cut him any slack with her opening statement. “You’re out early.”

“You’re home early,” he responded, not giving an inch. 

“I have some homework to do.” 

He nodded, even as he reached out for the bread and plugged in the toaster. “How was your sleepover?” he asked. 

“Good,” Jira replied. 

He shot her a smile and then turned away to focus on making his breakfast. Well, Jira thought, if that’s how he wanted to play it… After a perfectly timed beat, she asked, sing-song, “How was yours?”

He turned to face her again, leaning back against the counter. He took a breath and exhaled it before pressing his mouth closed and narrowing his eyes at her. She maintained her best poker face, desperately wanting to laugh. He was clearly embarrassed but also clearly didn’t want her to know he was. There was also an element of worry that she’d be upset if he admitted that things had gotten physical between him and Mr. Bhatt (like she didn’t know already; he was hardly subtle). And truthfully, she hadn’t been completely OK with it, when she first figured it out. There had been some tears in her room. But he was happy, and so she really was happy for him too. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t tease him when she had the chance. 

Finally, he seemed to decide, or maybe he saw something in her expression that she hadn’t meant to reveal. His response was challenging, as equally sarcastic as the question had been. “Very good.”

Jira couldn’t help but laugh. “Ew,” she ultimately said.


	4. Chapter 4

As soon as she signed into her email, Jira regretted taking the break from her homework to do so. She only had one new message, and it was one she had no intention of clicking on. She had blocked his number after several attempts to call or text her. So now he was trying other methods to get a hold of her.

“Can’t take a hint,” Jira muttered, deleting the message. 

“How’s the homework?”

The question startled her, and she turned to see her dad leaning against her doorframe, his hands in his pockets. She wondered if he heard her just now. She didn’t want to tell him that Isaiah was still trying to get in touch with her, because she didn’t want him to worry and she didn’t want to cause problems. She’d handle it. 

“Almost done,” she answered.

He nodded, looking down the hall. Having had conversations like this all her life, she knew when he was looking for some company. 

“Want to watch a movie when I’m done?” 

He looked at her again, a pleased expression on his face. “Sounds good, punchkin. Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll start the popcorn.”

“Pick out a good one. A comedy!”

He gave her a little salute, making her laugh. He left her alone then, and Jira stared at the door for another beat, thinking about her dad fondly. He was so good to her, and she never wanted him to doubt or worry about her again. She’d do anything to make him happy. 

Jira turned to her homework again. The last thing she had to do, before she could hang out with him, was this essay for Mr. Bhatt’s class. But now that she was thinking about all this – who she wanted to spend time with and who she didn’t, how much she loved her dad and wanted him to know that – it was hard to focus.

**

The soft but deliberate cough pulled Liam out of his grading. He looked up, surprised to see Jira in the door of his classroom. He put aside the pile of student work, just barely tilting his head to invite her in. She walked closer, sitting in the chair opposite him. She took a breath, lifting her arms and dropping them back down on her lap as she began to speak.

“So…are you busy this Saturday?”

The question was unexpected. Liam didn’t quite know where she was going with this, so he decided to hold back on any assumptions. 

“Nothing I can’t change.” 

He was pretty sure Daniel would be OK with rescheduling their plans if Jira had some other idea. He knew Daniel desperately wanted them to form some kind of connection outside of school, no matter how much he tried not to push Jira or make Liam feel like it was some kind of obligation. 

Not that he felt that, of course. Jira was such an important part of Daniel, and he liked her for herself as well. If this was going to work out for all three of them, he needed and wanted her to welcome him eventually.

“Would you like to do something with me?” she asked, sincere if awkward. It sounded like she had practiced it. 

Liam blinked, a smile growing on his face. “What did you have in mind?” He paused, then tried to break the tension with a little joke, “We could go to the library and find you some good books to read.”

“Ha, no.” 

Her immediate response made him chuckle. But she seemed serious again when she started to think out loud through options.

“I did science stuff with my dad, and Tia and I talk politics and activism, and Dad and I – I mean, I guess we – ”

“We figure out our own thing,” he suggested, gently cutting her off before she overthought it.

“I’ll do some research and get back to you?”

“Sounds good,” he agreed. 

Jira nodded once and hopped out of her chair. He watched as she left the room, unable to stop his smile. 

Later that day, when Daniel walked into the room with their afternoon coffees, Liam beamed in welcome. Daniel walked over, putting the mug on Liam’s desk. He reached out for it immediately, while Daniel was still close enough that he could caress his fingers along the back of his hand. Daniel shot him a heated glance before speaking in a low voice. 

“I checked the play times on Saturday. There’s a show at 5:30 – ”

“I can’t go.”

Daniel furrowed his brow. “Something come up?”

“Yes,” Liam responded, pausing to take a sip of his coffee. “I have plans. With Jira.”

The double-take almost made him spit out his drink with laughter. But Daniel’s surprise was soon replaced by an oddly soft excitement that made Liam’s heart feel full. 

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“OK, then…I guess we’ll go another time.”

Liam looked past him at the sounds of the first students entering the room for the next period. Daniel turned slightly to follow his gaze, then faced Liam again. They shared another smile, and after briefly pursing his lips in what Liam knew was meant to be a subtle kiss, Daniel left to go to his own class. 

And at the end of the day, Jira returned. 

“I’ve been googling things to do in Chicago,” she said by way of greeting. Liam turned to look at her, even as he continued to erase the board. “Hear me out: kitschy tourist activities?”

He pretended to think for a moment. “I could be into that.”

“Great! Option number one: ghost tours.”

“Yeeeesss,” Liam laughed. “No need to list any more options.”

“Awesome!”

Jira grinned at him and bounced out of the room. Liam faced forward again, shaking his head in amusement.

**

“For a rational scientist who doesn’t like fiction, you pretty much shrieked there,” Liam pointed out, teasing Jira as they climbed the steps to the L stop.

“OK, that’s because you blew on my hair right when the guide was telling that story.”

Liam let his mouth drop open in mock offense. “I did not!”

“You liar.”

He laughed but didn’t have time to respond. They discovered, when they reached the top of the platform, that the train was already there. They both ran, sliding between the doors just before they closed. Jira led him over to a pair of seats and they both dropped down.

“I had fun, though,” Jira commented.

“I did too,” Liam replied, grinning at her. “We should definitely do this again.”

Jira nodded. “River cruise or Second City?”

Liam’s head tilted back as he laughed. “You choose,” he finally said. 

“OK,” Jira agreed. She looked away, glancing out the window, and they were both silent for several moments. She didn’t speak again until the train was slowing for the next stop, when she pulled out her phone. “I should let Dad know we’re on our way back. Um, do you want to have dinner with us?”

“Ah, sure. I mean, I don’t want to – if it’s OK.”

“Of course, Mr. Bhatt. I asked, didn’t I? And I doubt my dad will have a problem with it.”

Liam pressed his lips together and nodded. After a second, he said, “You can call me Liam out of school, you know.”

She seemed to struggle with that, which he couldn’t quite understand until she explained, “I don’t know if I can. It’s just so…ingrained.”

“OK. OK, that’s fine,” he replied hurriedly. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

They were silent again, a little more tension and awkwardness between them than there had been for most of the excursion after they finally got into a groove. Liam felt the need to apologize and almost did right when she spoke again.

“Where did you go to college?” she asked, the sudden change of subject surprising but Liam rolled with it. 

“University of Chicago. And I got a master’s from UIC later.”

“Did you like it?”

“Yeah, I did. You applied to a couple schools in Chicago, right?”

They relaxed again, finding the topic neutral enough to get them through the rest of the trip to the house. Jira had predicted accurately and Daniel extended his own invitation to dinner before either of them even brought it up. As they sat at the table, passing plates around and getting settled, Liam wondered if this would be the first of many more meals like this. At the same time, he was acutely aware of the significance, and for the first time all day, felt like there really was a ghost hovering just off to the side, not menacing but still hard to ignore. 

But maybe it was just him, or maybe if the others felt it, they were more used to moving past the noticeable absence of the other member of their family. Because they talked naturally and easily and when Jira excused herself to go up to her room, it didn’t feel like she was escaping.

He wasn’t quite ready to leave yet, though, and Daniel clearly wasn’t about to let him. Instead, he led him to the living room and sat closely next to him on the couch. 

“How’d it go?” 

“Good, I think,” Liam answered, smiling at Daniel’s palpable relief.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I think she might actually like me a bit.”

“What did you two talk about?”

Liam shook his head. “No, no. That’s not how this works.”

“Are you two going to gang up on me now?” Daniel asked, laughing.

“Maybe,” Liam teased. 

Daniel looked down, shaking his head. They sat quietly for a moment, and then somewhat unexpectedly, Daniel reached out and took Liam’s hand in his own. He looked up, making eye contact as he interlaced their fingers.

“Seriously, I’m really happy. I want you two to…get along.”

“Me too.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course, she’s one of my favorite people. Plus, it turns out I might like you a bit, and I want this to work out.”

Daniel stared at him, lips twitching with the urge to smile. “Me too,” he murmured, just before leaning into kiss him.

The kiss started out chaste, almost as if it were a way for Daniel to say a simple thank you. It didn’t stay that way for long, though. Liam clutched at Daniel’s collar, the fabric of his shirt crumpling in his fist. He pulled Daniel to him, breathing harshly through his nose. Daniel’s hands went to his lower back, tugging Liam closer and simultaneously supporting him as he pushed him down onto the couch.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Liam protested, straightening his arm to hold Daniel at a distance.

“What?”

“What if she comes downstairs?”

“She won’t,” Daniel responded quickly, shaking his head and trying to kiss Liam again. “Trust me.”

“No, we can’t. She’s just given me a chance. I don’t want to give her a reason to hate me.”

Daniel exhaled sharply, then nodded. He sat up, putting space between them. It took Liam another moment to push himself up as well. He was somewhat surprised that Daniel would risk Jira seeing them making out, or more, but he also could certainly understand wanting to continue what they’d started. It seemed like it was always one step forward, two steps back with them. Liam sighed.

“I should go home,” he decided.

Daniel looked at him, and the disappointment on his face was almost enough temptation to make Liam kiss him again. Instead, he leaned closer, catching Daniel’s earlobe between his teeth and tugging at it briefly.

“Can you find even just an hour or two tomorrow to come to my place?” he whispered.

Daniel seemed to shiver as he nodded. “Yes.”

“Then hold that thought.”

**

After a wonderful Saturday and an even better Sunday, Liam was having a hard time getting into work mode as he organized his desk before first period. But his good mood suddenly vanished when Daniel came stomping into the room. The last time Liam had seen him, only the afternoon before, he was much, much more content. Blissful even, except for the fact that they were saying goodbye again.

He was anything but blissful now. Liam stood, watching curiously as Daniel walked closer, brandishing a legal envelope. He shook it as he stopped next to the desk.

“He’s suing. For visitation.”

“Who?” Liam asked, confused.

“Isaiah! Jira’s birth father. He’s saying – he’s saying that I’m keeping her from him.”

“That’s utter bullshit! Can he even do that? Didn’t he sign away his rights?”

“Yes! But – I don’t know. I don’t know.” 

Daniel tossed the envelope on the desk, turning away as he put one hand on his hip and used the other to cover his mouth. He shook his head. Liam placed a comforting hand on his back, sliding it around to his side as he stepped closer. Daniel dropped his head, angling it slightly to look at Liam through his peripheral vision. He sighed, moving his hand to briefly cover Liam’s before lowering it again.

“I thought things were calming down,” he said. 

“Any sane judge will throw this out in seconds.”

Daniel nodded but didn’t seem as if he quite believed that. “I don’t have much faith in the justice system,” he pointed out.

There wasn’t much Liam could say to that. So, he leaned down and kissed Daniel’s shoulder quickly. 

“Go talk to Elizabeth,” he suggested. “You’re not going to be able to teach today with this hanging over you. I’ll let the office know you need a sub.”

Daniel nodded, even as he turned to face Liam. He looked exhausted and Liam just wanted to hold him. He wondered if he should take off too, to be there with him. Before he could suggest it, though, Daniel seemed to find his strength again. He visibly steeled himself, his game face slotting into place. Liam smiled, knowing that he was ready to fight. Again. 

“You should call Tia too,” he pointed out. “And keep me posted.”

“I will.” 

Daniel backed away then, holding onto Liam’s hand as long as possible, even stretching for a few more moments of contact. As soon as he let him go, he turned and walked out the door. Liam watched until he disappeared and then, a few moments later, returned to his own tasks.


	5. Chapter 5

Frivolous or not, the lawsuit was still public record, and there were a few reporters who were still far too interested in the drama of their lives. Daniel was back to screening his calls, going with _no comment_ more often than before. Isaiah wasn’t as discreet, giving sound clips every other day about being denied a relationship with his daughter and, in one statement that made Daniel, Jira and Liam all start screaming at the TV, how concerned he was about Jira’s safety if Daniel started bringing strange men around the house. But Elizabeth reminded them over and over that there was no case there and his 15 minutes would soon be over, while Tia – possibly angriest of all of them and the only one who was simultaneously removed and relevant enough to be able to speak out about it – stepped up with as many pointed comments as possible referring to how very suspect Isaiah’s sudden interest in anything to do with Jira was, even speculating if all Isaiah really wanted was a piece of the settlement from the city. 

Court of public opinion aside, they still eventually had to go in front of the family court judge. The night before, Liam came over for dinner and then spent some time alone with Jira reviewing her statement. She didn’t want her dad to be accused of influencing it, and Liam could understand that. Despite a few weak jokes about it getting her out of the homework for his class, they both were aware that it was probably the most important thing he’d ever offered her notes on. 

Eventually, he left her in her room and found Daniel downstairs. He gave Liam a look of such _emotion_ that Liam closed the distance between them in three large steps. He pulled Daniel into a gentle kiss, breaking it quickly to rest their foreheads together.

“It’s going to be fine,” he whispered. “You’re going to be so proud of her when she smacks him down.”

Daniel nodded. 

Liam swallowed, then after a pause, he asked, “Do you want me to come tomorrow?”

Daniel scoffed. “Not with what Isaiah’s been saying. That’s not how I want people to find out about us.”

Liam inhaled slowly, just barely tightening his grip on Daniel’s arm. He knew, intellectually, what Daniel was saying. He agreed with it even. Isaiah had painted the possibility of Daniel dating again as something damaging to Jira, making it sound like Daniel would care so little about her he’d be bringing home random guys to sleep with. There’d be questions and gossip and rumors about how and when their relationship shifted, about what they did around Jira, about whether he was some kind of danger to her. It would turn them into something cheap and tawdry. Liam knew this. Intellectually. 

“Would it be a bad thing if we went public?” he asked anyway.

“It’s not that,” Daniel murmured, shaking his head. “I just – I want us to decide when that happens. I kind of like how things are now. We don’t have to hear anyone else’s opinion on it.”

“OK,” Liam sighed, trying not to let on how disappointed he was. “That’s fine. I guess. I just don’t want to feel like this is something…shameful. Something we have to hide.”

“It’s not,” Daniel said, pulling back to make eye contact with Liam. They stared at each other for a moment, and Liam tried desperately, but he suspected futilely, to control the skepticism or hurt in his expression. Daniel’s next comment only confirmed that he had failed. “We can tell people.”

“No,” Liam responded immediately, shaking his head. “No, it’s OK. We can wait until we’re both ready. I’m not giving you an ultimatum or trying to guilt trip you or something. I…you can’t blame me for wanting to shout it from the rooftops.”

Daniel smiled, swaying closer to Liam. “You can’t blame me for wanting to keep you all to myself,” he countered. 

He knew Daniel knew just how easily a statement like that could affect him. He gave Daniel a _look_, rolling his eyes just enough to make Daniel raise his eyebrows in feigned innocence. Then he closed the distance between them again, drawing Daniel into a light, but promising kiss. Things were just started to heat up when they were interrupted. 

“I can’t believe you would expose me to this kind of depravity, Dad,” Jira joked. 

They jumped apart, both glancing at her in embarrassment. 

“Can we please do something fun for a little while?” she asked. 

“Yes!” Daniel agreed.

**

At the start of the hearing, the judge looked directly at Jira. She swallowed with nerves, but as soon as he started speaking, she felt herself relax.

“There’s only one person I want to hear from today. Jira, do you feel comfortable speaking openly? If not, you and your lawyer can come into my chambers.”

“No,” she said, adding, “Your honor, I just want this over with.”

“Very well. Do you have anything prepared?”

Jira nodded. She stood, uncertain if it was even required, but feeling the need to be formal. With shaking hands, she unfolded the paper that she and Mr. Bhatt had carefully reviewed. It wasn’t perfect and didn’t say everything she wanted to, but she hoped it was persuasive enough. 

“This past year has been the most difficult of my life,” she began. “I had to say goodbye to my dad. I had to go to courtrooms and press conferences, and each time I was forced to relive that loss. I had to accept that I wouldn’t get the justice I felt was deserved. Despite all that, there were moments of beauty and happiness and love. I learned who my friends were. I met Tia, my birth mother, and developed a relationship with her and her family. I found my voice.”

Jira paused. “But, perhaps most importantly, I became closer than ever to my dad and discovered what it means to be a parent. Growing up, I’ve heard things like ‘your dad is the one who changed your diapers, who walked you to your first day of school, who tucked you in at night.’ I think these are familiar sentiments to anyone who is adopted. But it’s so much more than that. This year, I discovered how much love, sacrifice, trust and commitment it takes, day after day after day. It’s putting aside your own hurt and pettiness and fears to make sure the child knows how safe they are with you and how much they can rely on you, no matter what.”

She turned to look at her dad and smiled, blinking to clear away tears. He stared back at her, one fist up by his mouth but not doing much to hide the emotion on his face. “My dad,” Jira continued, facing forward again, “was knee-deep in it, every day. That was him. It wasn’t Isaiah. Still, he was more than supportive of my initial desire to get to know Isaiah, even inviting him to our home. If I wanted to have a relationship with my birth father, my dad wouldn’t stop me. It’s my decision not to spend time with Isaiah or know him, due to his own attitudes and behaviors. I told Isaiah that repeatedly, until I finally had to stop ignoring his attempts to contact me.”

There was movement behind her and she could hear urgent whispering between her dad and Elizabeth. Jira did her best to ignore it, even though she knew she’d be in trouble later now that her dad knew she’d kept that secret. Jira took a breath, then finished her statement with as much determination as possible.

“Isaiah gave up his parental rights. He made no attempt to contact me for 17 years. I am nearly an adult, and I can decide for myself who I want in my life. I don’t want him in my life. I want him to leave me and my family alone.” Jira breathed out, looking up to make eye contact with the judge. “Thank you, your honor.”

She dropped into her seat, shaking slightly. But she smiled, feeling stronger when her dad’s arm came around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

**

Liam had never actually been in that coffee shop before. The only thing that it had going for it was it was one block down from the courthouse. Neither he nor Tia wanted to hear the news from a text message or a phone call, and they didn’t want to wait one second longer than they had to. So, the coffee shop it was.

His drink had cooled in front of him long ago. He stared out the window, tapping his fingernails against the table surface. 

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Tia said for the fourth or fifth time. “It’s a ridiculous case.”

Liam hummed in acknowledgment, but didn’t speak. Suddenly, Tia laughed, and he looked at her for maybe the first time since they arrived and found the table. Liam furrowed his brow curiously.

“Nothing,” she said, shrugging. “This is just the first time we ever really…and we’re too busy freaking out to get to know each other. I had planned on asking you so many questions.”

“Like what?” Liam asked, slightly wary but more amused.

“Like…just what are your intentions with Daniel?”

Liam burst into laughter. 

“What?” Tia asked, teasing. “I have a vested interest in those two being as disgustingly happy as they possibly can be.”

“So do I,” Liam responded, winking conspiratorially. Before he could say anything else, though, he spotted the two people in question, along with Elizabeth, out the window. No one seemed upset or angry, and Liam exhaled in relief. He stood, nodding to indicate they were coming. When Tia started to follow him out of the shop, he looked over his shoulder at her. “And don’t say anything just yet, but my intention is to marry him.”

Tia chuckled. “OK. I’m going to hold you to that.”

But there was no time to respond. They were outside and the others had arrived. 

“Thrown out!” Jira crowed. “And he has to pay our legal fees. And Dad demanded a restraining order too.”

Tia threw her hands up in celebration. She, Elizabeth and Jira began to walk down the sidewalk, arm in arm as Jira described the day in more detail. Liam hung back though, smiling at Daniel. Daniel sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Liam reached out, briefly running his finger down Daniel’s chest. They started walking after the others, close enough for their hands to brush each other occasionally. 

“I told you it was going to be fine,” Liam said, and Daniel nodded. “God, I wish I could have seen you, though. You’re so hot when you’re righteously pissed.”

Daniel slid him a sideways glance, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile.

**

“So what did the committee decide on for a fundraiser?”

Liam grinned as he replied, “A mini-carnival. The highlight will be the dunk tank. One ticket equals one chance to soak your favorite or most hated teacher. I signed you up.”

Daniel barked in laugher. “In your dreams.”

“Mm, my dreams involving you are a bit more X-rated, but I’ll take seeing you in a wet shirt, if I can.”

“I love how much you love the end-of-senior-year trip,” Daniel observed, pointedly ignoring Liam’s flirting except for the smile he was unable to fully stop. 

“How have you never chaperoned it? You’re a _history_ teacher.”

Daniel shrugged. “Carl had seniority, and I couldn’t leave Jira that long anyway.”

“Hmm.” Liam tilted his head back, looking up from where he was resting in Daniel’s lap. Daniel smiled down at him, brushing the curl of hair off his forehead. “And now you both get to go.”

“DC and New York with dozens of teenagers,” he observed with more than a hint of trepidation.

“And me,” Liam reminded him unnecessarily. “I’ve had to share a hotel room with Carl and his sleep apnea for years. I will finally get my reward.”

“Oh? Who are you sharing with this year?”

“Ha ha.”

Daniel chuckled. “Not exactly how I pictured our first out-of-town trip.”

Liam hummed in agreement, with just a hint of suggestion. After a moment he added, “It’s a few months away still. We could maybe do a weekend before then. Just us.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Valentine’s Day?” Liam offered, feeling more nervous than he expected to. It wasn’t even something he had planned to ask, but now that the idea had occurred to him, he realized exactly how much he wanted it. 

Daniel looked off to the side, licking his lips. Liam swallowed as he watched him think over the idea. He could feel his heart pounding. When Daniel looked at him again, he tried to control his facial expression. 

“Jira’s babysitting for Benny that night. I could ask if she could just stay the night.”

“Really?” Liam asked, his wide smile a product of both relief and anticipation. 

“You don’t have to sound so surprised,” Daniel joked. “I do like spending time with you.”

Which is how they ended up in the Dells, the nature part not the tacky theme park part. There had been a nice dinner, of course, and holding hands as they walked around without having to worry about anyone recognizing them. But the best part was warming each other up back in the hotel room. Repeatedly. 

Liam pulled away after the latest round, breathing heavily and pleasantly sore. Daniel moaned into the pillow, apparently not quite able to lift his head just yet. Liam pressed his lips closed, swallowed, and then dropped a kiss to Daniel’s shoulder before rolling to his back.

“This beats all my previous Valentine’s days,” he informed Daniel, even as he focused on removing the condom. 

Daniel finally picked his head up, just long enough to turn to face Liam before lowering it again. He exhaled, then grinned. “How many have you had? With someone?”

Liam gave him a slight double take, and then a teasing smirk. “Is that your way of asking about my dating history? Sorry, Daniel, you’re not my first.”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “No, it wasn’t, but now it is.”

“Well,” Liam replied, turning serious as he put an arm behind his head. “There was Bradley, who you sort of met.”

“The one who thought you had feelings for me…”

“Yeah.” Liam grinned at the ceiling. “Don’t know where he got that idea.”

Daniel snickered, even as he slid a hand along Liam’s stomach. Liam dropped his free hand to tangle their fingers together.

“Let’s get the big question out of the way. I’ve slept with six guys, counting you. Not the highest number, not the lowest. I’m not one for casual sex, but I’m not a monk. So, a few during college, a few after. Been on dates with more than that, obviously.”

“Anybody special?”

Liam shrugged. “Maybe. Or I thought so at the time, anyway. I don’t know. I’ve been almost pathetically hung up on this one guy for years now, so.”

Daniel didn’t respond, but he did push himself onto his elbows. He shifted over until he was above Liam, and then held eye contact. Liam felt exposed, actually quite embarrassed even though it wasn’t anything he hadn’t confessed before. It was just the last time he let on how long he had been pining for Daniel, it had been a bad and painful conversation. He spent so long trying to hide his feelings that he sometimes forgot he was allowed to show them now. 

Daniel’s gaze travelled over his face, then returned to meet Liam’s own. The air seemed supercharged around them, the seriousness of the moment hanging over them. Liam inhaled, licking his lips, unable to look away.

Finally, he whispered, “He’s pretty special to me.”

Daniel lowered down, closing the distance between them until their mouths were joining in a kiss. Liam reached one arm to run it along Daniel’s shoulder and back, pulling him even closer.


	6. Chapter 6

“You made these?”

Jira nodded. 

Liam looked skeptically at the cupcake in front of him, one little candle burning brightly in it. Daniel and Jira had sung a very loud, off-key rendition of Happy Birthday after dinner as they placed it in front of him. It _looked_ edible, but Liam had heard stories about Jira’s lack of ability in the kitchen.

“Dad helped,” Jira allowed, after a moment.

Liam glanced at Daniel, who gave him a barely perceptible nod. Liam shook his head, as if giving in, then leaned forward.

“Make a wish!” Jira instructed. 

Liam paused for a moment, watching her fondly as she bounced in her seat with exaggerated excitement. He glanced at Daniel, his smile growing as they made eye contact. He avoided saying anything corny like how his wish had come true, but he couldn’t help thinking it. Trying not to blush, he blew out the candle.

But the birthday kept getting better and better, because after they’d had their dessert and cleaned up the kitchen, when it was time for Liam to leave, Daniel told Jira he was going to see him home. As happy as Liam was about getting more time with him, he was also a little embarrassed, made even worse by Jira’s amused scoff.

“Yeah, OK, have fun.”

“I will see you in a little bit,” Daniel said pointedly. “Be good while I’m gone.”

Jira waved a dismissive goodbye as she climbed the stairs. “Happy birthday, Mr. Bhatt.”

“Good night, Jira,” he called after her. 

They didn’t say much during the ride to his place, simply enjoyed each other’s company. They held hands, walking close to each other as they made their way from the stop to Liam’s apartment. And they probably would have thoroughly surprised Jira if she knew that, for the next half hour, they just sat on the couch, holding each other and murmuring quietly about the day. 

“I’m glad we’re only eight years apart for a little while,” Daniel observed. 

“Cradle robber,” Liam teased, smiling softly. 

“Did you have a good birthday?”

“Um, yes. I got a cupcake so…”

“Haven’t given you my last present yet,” Daniel hinted. “I think I can do better than that.”

“Well…it was a _chocolate_ cupcake, so you have your work cut out for you.”

Daniel shifted position, making Liam fall against him at a slightly uncomfortable angle. It wasn’t uncomfortable enough to move, however, so he just snuggled closer. 

“When was your best birthday?” 

“Oh, definitely when I turned 16,” Liam replied. “Got a PlayStation and a driver’s license.” 

Daniel chuckled but didn’t respond. Several more minutes of silence passed before he eventually sighed. It was more of a _time to go home_ sigh than a _content and unwilling to move_ one, and Liam struggled not to be disappointed. 

“I suppose,” Daniel said.

Liam inhaled deeply as he tilted his head to look at Daniel. “You know,” he began slowly. “She’s almost 18. She can probably stay by herself.” At Daniel’s conflicted expression, he added, “I know it’s a school night, and I’m not saying I should stay over there yet, but…”

Daniel gave him a sad smile, and Liam knew he hadn’t convinced him of it just yet. “I probably should sit down and talk with her about that,” he said apologetically. “Not just spring it on her.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Liam looked down, nodding. “I know. It’s just getting harder to say goodbye to you more often than I wake up next to you.”

“I agree,” Daniel assured him. “And…I do think it’s time we talk about that. Just…”

“Not tonight.”

“Yeah. But,” he shifted his tone to something far more suggestive, making Liam feel at least a little better. “there’s still your last present.”

“What’s that?” Liam asked, grinning up at Daniel again. 

“Bday BJ!” Daniel informed him cheerfully

He pushed them both up and slid out from under Liam, dropping to the floor in front of the couch. Liam laughed as he sat up fully.

“You’re serious?”

Daniel hummed flirtatiously.

“Oh my God, I take it back. This is the best birthday.”

Daniel didn’t respond with anything more than a nod, pushing his tongue to his teeth as he fought a smile. He climbed to his knees, his expression of amusement changing to a grimace of pain almost immediately. 

“God, getting too old for this,” he complained, even as he reached out to grab the throw pillow from the couch and put it under his knees. 

“We can go to the bedroom,” Liam pointed out. 

“This is fine,” Daniel disagreed, and Liam couldn’t really find a reason to argue, although that might have been because he was far more focused on the way Daniel lowered the zipper of his jeans. 

Once he pulled away Liam’s clothes, Daniel leaned forward to suck just the tip into his mouth, making Liam groan and drop his head back. Almost unconsciously, Liam reached out and placed his hand on the back of Daniel’s head. He smiled up at the ceiling when Daniel raised his own hand, placed it on top of Liam’s and interlaced their fingers. Liam’s eyelids fluttered and his breathing turned heavy and uneven as Daniel started going faster and deeper. Unable to stop himself, Liam tilted his hips up with small thrusts. 

“Please, _ngh_,” Liam choked out, at first in pleasure and then in dismay when Daniel pulled off him.

He didn’t abandon Liam for long, though. He simply switched to jacking him off with one hand while using his lips and tongue to focus lower. He also added two fingers to the mix, getting them wet with his saliva. And when Daniel returned to his cock, taking him all the way down his throat, he pressed his thumb against the skin just outside the hole he slid his finger into. 

“Oh _fuck_,” Liam nearly shouted, his whole body arching off the couch as he tried not to come. 

Daniel rose up with him, almost psychically moving in concert, never once letting up on Liam until he was incapable of controlling himself any longer and gave into the climax. It took Liam more than a few moments to come back to his senses, and when he did, he dropped his head to look at Daniel. He was still kneeling on the ground, his head in Liam’s lap as he caught his breath. Liam let him relax one second longer, before scrunching his fingers in his hair and tugging just enough to get his attention. Daniel caught the hint quickly. He climbed up, a small hiss the only sign that his knees were still protesting, and joined Liam on the couch again. Liam turned, lowering to his back as Daniel stretched out on top of him and began to kiss him, transferring the taste of Liam’s release to his own mouth. He reached down, finding Daniel’s erection and palming it, stroking him through his pants. 

He only devoted a minute or two to that, though, before stretching out for the drawer on the side of the coffee table. After he and Daniel had started a physical relationship, Liam had stocked up supplies everywhere he could think of, and they had made use of more than one cache. 

Maybe too much use, Liam realized when his fingers skated across the bottom of the empty drawer. He broke the kiss, panicking slightly, and twisted to see what he was doing. A tube of lube was there, and he took it out, placing it on the table as he continued to search.

“Fuck,” he whispered, and it didn’t sound anywhere near as pleased as his curses just a few minutes ago had. 

He looked at Daniel, who was starting to figure out what was happening. They stared at each other, both panting, both a little wild-eyed. Liam glanced down at where their lower bodies met. Daniel was still straining against the fabric of his trousers. When he met Daniel’s eyes again, though, the expression in them was aroused but hesitant.

“That’s probably another conversation we should wait to have outside the heat of the moment.”

Liam nodded, feeling almost giddy with it all. “There should be condoms in the bedroom.” 

Daniel shook his head. “Won’t make it there in time,” he joked. “Gonna have to do this high school style.”

With a grin, Liam pulled him in for more kissing, rocking his hips to meet Daniel in some surprisingly – or perhaps unsurprisingly – hot...well, humping, for lack of a better term. Daniel had predicted correctly and he came quickly, barely waiting long enough for Liam to pull him out of his clothes. They were immobile for several minutes, holding each other tightly. Liam knew Daniel really did have to leave soon, if he was going to get home before Jira went to sleep. But he wasn’t quite ready to let him go just yet. 

He sighed out Daniel’s name, then fought an almost irresistible urge to tell him he loved him. He didn’t know if it was the right time, or if it was too much too soon, or if Daniel would think it was just the orgasm talking. So, instead, he asked Daniel when his birthday was. 

“May,” Daniel informed him, snickering.

Liam shook his head. “That’s too far away. I’ll have to give you an un-bday BJ long before then.” 

Daniel fully laughed then. “I have no objections to that.”

**

Daniel walked into the teacher’s lounge and smiled immediately. Liam was standing by the sink, looking kind of pale and clammy but still a sight for sore eyes. They hadn’t seen each other in several days, as Liam had been out sick. He’d even cancelled a date, but he refused to let Daniel come over to care for him. Apparently, he felt that it was too early in the relationship to deal with the stomach flu, and his adamant refusals had amused Daniel as much as they frustrated him.

“You’re here,” he said in greeting. “How are you feeling?”

Liam scowled, groaning slightly as he shrugged. “I’m here,” was his only reply. 

“Still not 100 percent?” Daniel asked sympathetically. 

By that time, he was close enough to make contact. He held the back of his hand to Liam’s forehead briefly, then lowered it to cup his cheek. 

“You still have a bit of a fever,” he observed. 

“Yeah, and my stomach’s still off, but…”

“You should go home.”

“I’ll be fine.”

The door opened and several of their colleagues entered, so Daniel couldn’t argue the point much more than that. He subtly stepped farther away from Liam and moved towards the coffee pot. Once he poured himself a mug, he turned to lean against the counter. He watched as Liam headed out of the room.

_Take it easy_, he mouthed at Liam, when he stopped to look back at Daniel from the door. 

He reiterated his gentle admonishments at lunch, when Liam pushed his food around on his tray like a child instead of eating it. He was in fact getting rather worried about him, and was prepared to order him home – or to the house for some TLC as soon as Daniel could join him – if he was still doing so poorly when they checked in later that afternoon. 

But when he popped his head in Liam’s room, he got a wide smile in greeting. Liam glanced around then darted in for a quick kiss. The unexpected affection made Daniel raise his eyebrows in surprise, even as he smiled.

“You’re feeling better,” he declared. 

“I am.”

“Glad to hear it. Am I allowed to be your boyfriend again?”

Liam sighed long-sufferingly. “I suppose,” he joked.

**

Jira couldn’t help but snicker at the faux-argument Matthew and Riley were having on either side of her as they walked towards Mr. Bhatt’s class. She wasn’t even sure what they were bickering about, but the disagreement had devolved into silly name-calling. She turned around to face them, walking backwards into the still-empty classroom, in order to tell them both to give it a rest. But they stopped before she had a chance, both looking ahead with concerned expressions.

“Mr. Bhatt?” Matthew asked, the tone of his voice striking an ominous fear in her heart. 

Jira spun. Mr. Bhatt was at his desk, his face buried in the crook of his arm as he groaned. He gripped his phone in his hand but didn’t seem capable of actually using it. The side of his face was red, beads of sweat dripping down, and he seemed to be hyperventilating.

Jira rushed forward, putting one hand on his back and leaning closer to try to talk to him. “What’s wrong?” she asked. 

He shook his head. “Dunno. I – thought I was feeling better,” he gritted out.

“Are you nauseous again or…?”

“No, ’s pain.”

Jira flashed back to a long-ago day when her dad quizzed her on emergency diagnoses. She felt filled with worry as she remembered the symptoms he described and their potential outcomes. “Pain where?”

“Everywhere,” Mr. Bhatt replied breathlessly.

“Did you have this pain the last couple days?”

He didn’t answer at first, and then he nodded. “Yeah, but not as bad. More off to the side.”

“Damn it,” Jira cursed. She stood up, turning to face a very worried Matthew and Riley. “Riley, go to the office and get the nurse. Matthew, go get my dad. I’m calling an ambulance.”

“What is it?” Riley asked.

“I think his appendix burst. Go!”

They both ran out, squeezing past other students who had started to arrive and congregate around the door in confused gawking. Jira ignored them, reaching out to pull the phone from Mr. Bhatt’s hand. She activated the screen, pressing the emergency call button in the bottom corner.


	7. Chapter 7

“OK,” Daniel said, louder than usual to indicate that the students should settle so class could start. “Today, we’re going to – ”

But he didn’t get much farther than that before Matthew interrupted. He crashed into the doorframe, catching himself as he almost skidded past the room. Daniel took a step closer, concerned and curious but also oddly paralyzed with sudden fear that something had happened to Jira.

“Come quick,” Matthew gasped, beckoning. 

“What is – ” he faced the class again. “Stay here,” he commanded. 

He suspected they wouldn’t listen to him, but he didn’t care that much, to be honest. He dropped the chalk in his hand onto his desk and crossed the room to the door in record time. Matthew started leading him away, even as he hurried to explain.

“It’s Mr. Bhatt,” was his first statement, which filled Daniel with relief that Jira was OK and yet simultaneously with a new worry. “He’s – Jira thinks his appendix burst.”

“Wait, _burst_ burst or that it might?”

“I think burst,” Matthew replied, glancing over his shoulder as they started descending the stairs. 

“Damn it.” 

Daniel put on a new burst of speed once they hit the floor, leaving Matthew to catch up. He could see a crowd of students gathering around the door of the room, far too many of them to just be the students who were in the class. 

“Out of the way!” he shouted, pushing through them. “Go where you’re supposed to be.”

None of them really listened to him, but Daniel didn’t waste time repeating the instructions. He’d made his way through the group and into the room, and could now see Liam at his desk with Jira crouching next to him. Covering the distance in a second, he dropped to one knee next to her, reaching his hand to rest on top of Liam’s where it clutched at his stomach. 

“Liam?”

He turned his head, making eye contact with Daniel. His eyes were rather glassy, from the pain or fever or both. He breathed heavily, and he seemed to be shivering from chills. 

“How long has it been like this?”

Liam barely moved his shoulders in what was probably supposed to be a shrug. “Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen.”

“OK.” Daniel looked at Jira. She held up the cell phone in her hand. “On the way.”

Daniel focused on Liam again to reassure him that everything would be fine. And then, in the next several minutes, the chaos started to become more controlled. Riley showed up with the school nurse and principal, with the former coming to check on Liam and the latter shooing away the pack of students, which from the looks of it had grown to include Daniel’s class as well. 

“Back to your rooms,” she directed. “Lit and history classes, you will have study halls this period, so sit quietly in your desks where you will soon be joined by a supervising aide. If you’re not in those classes, you shouldn’t be here.”

Daniel chose not to question why she didn’t tell him to head back to his room now that other adults were there. He was simply grateful. But nowhere near as grateful as he was when, moments later, the paramedics arrived, pushing a gurney into the room with them. 

“Oh God,” Liam protested. “I don’t need to be wheeled out of here like – ”

“Shut up,” Daniel said, even as Jira and the nurse stepped over to the paramedics to tell them what had happened. “You’re going to cooperate and do everything they tell you to.”

Liam looked at him, exasperated fondness not doing much to mask the fear or pain. Daniel stepped back then, but close enough so he could still hover as the paramedics helped Liam onto the gurney. They began checking Liam’s vitals, while Liam leaned around to look at the class. 

“Read your books.”

Daniel rolled his eyes, but it also made him exhale in relief. If Liam was well enough to make dumb _hard ass teacher_ jokes, he was not about to die. At least that’s what he told himself. As the paramedics started moving out of the room, Daniel turned to check in with the principal. She gave him a subtle nod in response to his unasked question, and he spared half a moment to wonder how much she had figured out about them. But it didn’t matter just then, so he turned to follow the others. When he passed Jira, he put a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a worried look, even as she wordlessly handed him Liam’s cell phone. Daniel leaned over to kiss her forehead. 

“Good job,” he whispered.

**

Daniel had tried to stay out of the way in the ambulance as they worked on Liam. Every once in a while, Liam would seek him out, offering him small smiles in clear attempts to reassure him. Daniel sort of wanted to yell at him for worrying about him right now, but he didn’t want to cause any more stress.

They arrived at the hospital, and Daniel followed the others out of the back of the ambulance. The paramedics, doctors and nurses were talking to each other, so he used the opportunity to have Liam’s full attention, not sure when they’d be able to talk again. He reached out, grabbing Liam’s hand and smiling when Liam looked at him.

“You’ll be fine,” he said.

Liam nodded. “Thanks to Jira.”

“I’ll be here the whole time, OK? They might not let me in with you, but – ”

“I know.”

Daniel inhaled deeply, fighting against a sudden urge to cry. “I…Liam, I – you – ”

“Stop.”

“What?”

“I don’t want any declarations from you just because I’m in the hospital.”

Daniel laughed. “That’s not why.”

“Then it can wait.”

Daniel wanted to argue, but he had no chance. It would have to wait, because they were on the move again. One of the nurses pointed at a family room, and they left Daniel behind as they wheeled Liam out of sight. He exhaled shakily, turning to look around, feeling somewhat lost.

**

Daniel paced back and forth down the aisle of seats in the waiting room he’d been sent to. There was one other person there, sitting in a corner and nursing a cup of coffee as they stared blindly ahead. Daniel exhaled, running one hand through his hair before turning and walking in the opposite direction again. Just then, a nurse walked in, and Daniel recognized her as one of the staff who had taken over Liam’s care when they exited the ambulance. He hurried over to her, letting the worry on his face ask the questions he couldn’t quite articulate.

She nodded. “He does have a ruptured appendix. They’ll take him in for emergency surgery soon where they will remove it and clean out the infection before it spreads further.”

“But he’s going to be OK?” Daniel asked.

“He should be fine. We normally like to catch appendicitis before a rupture occurs, because it can be life-threatening. But you all responded quickly and it’s still a common procedure, so there’s no reason to fear the worst.”

Daniel closed his eyes and exhaled. He wanted to believe her, but the last year had been almost entirely about the worst outcomes from unexpected crises. On the other hand, Liam was one of the few positives in all of it, so he hoped he continued to follow that trend. Daniel opened his eyes, ready to ask more questions when the nurse beat him to it.

“Can you fill out some forms for us?”

“Um, I can try. I don’t know if I will know all the answers.”

She hesitated before continuing. “Do you have power of attorney?”

“Oh! Oh, no. I’m – I mean, we’re together but it’s – ”

“Do you have contact information for his family?”

Daniel paused, trying to remind himself that these policies applied in all cases and it wasn’t always due to the ugly discrimination he and Harrison and so many others fought and continued to fight so hard against. He pushed down his gut instinct to react long enough to remember he still had Liam’s phone.

“Yeah, I think I can get them. Otherwise, the school should have it.”

“Let me know.” She gave him one last supportive smile and reached out to squeeze his arm before leaving. 

Daniel turned away, pulling the phone out of his pocket and tapping in the code he’d seen Liam use many times. He scrolled through the contacts, relieved when he found the one labelled Mom. With a steadying breath, he selected it and began the call. He supposed there were worse ways to meet the boyfriend’s parents. 

It rang twice before there was an answer, and the woman on the other end was clearly expecting her son, as she answered in Hindi.

“Hi, sorry,” Daniel cut her off. 

“Who is this? Where’s Liam?” she asked, switching to English, a clear accent but not nearly as strong as the one Liam had faked. 

“He’s – I’m a colleague of his, Daniel Calder. Liam’s at the hospital, having emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix.” Daniel cringed at the abruptness of his response, yet knew as a parent himself that times like this did not always call for sugar-coating bad news. 

“Which hospital?”

“County.”

“I’ll be right there.” 

She hung up. Daniel almost had to smile at the no-nonsense response. He dropped into the nearest seat and exhaled. There was not much else he could do except wait. Absent-mindedly, he lifted the phone with the intention of clicking it into sleep mode. It was then he finally noticed the home image on the screen. At some point, when he’d been over at the house for dinner or something, Liam had snapped a shot of Daniel and Jira without them noticing. They were leaning across the counter as they talked to each other, wide smiles on their faces. 

Daniel stared at the picture, his vision getting blurry from tears and the phone shaking in his hand. Honestly, he probably would have been simply touched if it had been a picture of him. He would have thought about how he’d tease Liam for it later. But the fact that the picture was of him _and_ Jira… Daniel realized just how much Liam was becoming a part of both their lives, and how much he clearly _wanted_ to be. 

He lifted his free hand to stifle the sob that threatened to escape. 

He couldn’t lose him; he couldn’t go through that again.

**

Sometime later, Daniel had steadied himself. He sipped a cup of coffee for lack of something else to do, and his leg bounced with nerves, but he was at least not about to have a breakdown of some kind. A commotion by the door caused him to look up, just in time to see an older Indian woman walk into the room. She made eye contact with him and shifted direction to close the distance between them. Daniel stood up, actually feeling nervous.

“Mrs. Bhatt?”

“Any news?”

“Not lately.”

She nodded, and Daniel felt vaguely like he should apologize for the lack of information. Instead, he introduced himself awkwardly. Rather unexpectedly, she gave him a vaguely amused smile.

“I know who you are.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows, feeling a blush developing as he wondered what exactly that meant. “He’s told you about me?”

“Not much, but a mother knows these things. And I recognize you from the news, of course.”

“Right, obviously.”

Before they were able to talk any more, a doctor entered the room. They both turned to face her, and Daniel was so intent on thinking optimistically that it took him a moment to recognize her. 

“Dale!”

“Daniel? What are you doing here?”

“Ah. I know Liam from work.” He hedged uncomfortably. He twisted towards Liam’s mother, who was watching him curiously. “This is his mother. Mrs. Bhatt, this is Dale Roberts, a colleague of my husband’s.”

“Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m happy to tell you the surgery was a success. We expect a full recovery.”

Daniel stepped back, turning around and exhaling in uncontrollable relief. He was just happy he managed not to burst into tears again. Once he’d calmed down, he turned to the others again, smiling as he saw that Mrs. Bhatt was clasping her hands as she spoke rapidly but clearly happily in Hindi. 

“He’s in Recovery now, but when we move him into a regular room, you’ll be able to see him,” Dale promised. She glanced at Daniel, in a rather knowing way that made him feel like blushing. “Nice seeing you, Daniel. We can talk more later.”

As she left the room, Mrs. Bhatt faced him. “More waiting,” she said. 

Daniel nodded, lowering himself into a chair. She sat nearby.

“Good. You can use the time to tell me how long you’ve been dating my son.”

**

Jira slammed her locker door shut and slipped her jacket on quickly. Then she picked up the backpack by her feet and started walking even as she lifted her phone and unlocked the screen. Suddenly, Matthew and Riley appeared on either side of her.

“Any news?”

“No, I’m texting Dad now. Then, I’m going to the hospital.”

“Good, we’ll come with.”

Jira nodded, only half-listening as she typed three question marks and sent the message to her dad. A few moments later she got a reply and sighed in relief when she read it.

“Out of surgery,” she told the others. “Should be fine.”

They both cheered. Jira smiled as she typed, a bit awkwardly since she was trying to walk at the same time. _Which hospital? I’ll be there asap._

The three of them pushed open the school doors and were down the stairs before her dad replied again. His message wasn’t unexpected but it was one that Jira had every intention of disobeying.

_Nothing you can do here, honey. Go home. Order yourself something for dinner and do your homework._

_WHICH HOSPITAL?_ Jira texted back, along with a stubborn-looking emoji. 

He seemed to know better than to fight her any longer on it, and soon enough, Jira led Matthew and Riley to the desk on the surgical floor. She knew her way around, of course, after years of visiting her dad at work. There were some familiar faces, but many new people as well. She didn’t know the person at the desk, so she pasted on her best Polite Young Girl expression to ask where she might find Liam Bhatt.

Before the nurse could respond, though, she heard her name. She turned and immediately recognized the woman who had called out to her. She started as a surgical intern the same year that her dad joined the hospital, and they had been good friends. She used to quiz Jira on medical trivia whenever they saw each other. 

“Dr. Roberts!” she exclaimed, walking over and giving her a quick hug. 

“Here to see your teacher? I heard you were the one to figure out what was going on.”

“I mean,” Jira joked, hoping it hid how scared she had actually been, “the symptoms were textbook.”

“He’s lucky you were there.”

They started walking down the hall, following signs for the family waiting room. 

“Is he going to be OK?” Riley asked.

Dr. Roberts glanced at them, and Jira quickly introduced her friends. With a quick nod, Dr. Roberts continued.

“I can’t tell you too many details, but he should be fine. We’ll keep him here a day or two on IV antibiotics to make sure. He’ll be sore for a while from the surgery, but otherwise…”

“Did you do the surgery?” Jira asked.

“I did.”

“Open, I assume. Would need to check the cavity so laparoscopic wouldn’t be – ”

Dr. Roberts laughed. “Open,” she confirmed. 

There was no time to ask further questions. They walked into the waiting room and Jira spotted her dad almost immediately. He was the only one in the room, and he glanced up at the sound of them entering. He stood and walked over, meeting Jira halfway with a hug. 

“His dad just got here, and his parents are in there now. His mom says he’s pretty out of it still.”

“You’ve seen him?”

“No, not yet. I’ll go in there when they’re done, if he’s up for it.” 

Their group was joined then by people who could only be Mr. Bhatt's parents. When they spotted Jira, his mom rushed over and took hold of her hands. Jira froze for a second, rather surprised by it all, then laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonder if anyone’s noticed that anytime I mention Harrison’s work, I include subtle and not-so-subtle ER references…
> 
> I won't be updating for at least a week due to real life.


	8. Chapter 8

Liam blinked his eyes open. He had no idea what time it was, and he didn’t know if that was because of how much he’d been sleeping or because he was on the good drugs. Probably both, but he was at least feeling a little more with it. It was dark outside the window, and the lights in the room were off except for a small lamp. He turned towards it and spotted Daniel sitting in a nearby chair. He had a newspaper in his lap but wasn’t reading it. Instead his eyes were closed as he rested his chin on his fist.

Liam tried to talk but couldn’t at first. He coughed, then swallowed, the sound alerting Daniel, who opened his eyes and immediately put the paper aside so he could stand and walk over. 

“Are you OK? Need something?”

“Go home,” Liam finally managed. 

Even in the dim light, he could see Daniel furrow his brow. He looked a bit hurt and Liam smiled fondly.

“Get some sleep. Eat some food. Take a shower.”

Daniel rolled his eyes, leaning over to rest his arms on the bed frame. “I’m fine,” he said. 

“How long have you been here?” Liam wondered.

“It’s been about 12 hours. The nurses are turning a blind eye to visiting hours. Perks of being someone they know.”

“What about school?”

“I’ll call in,” he replied, before teasing, “You’ll probably have a sub too.”

Liam shook his head. “You should – ”

“Stop. I’m not going anywhere. Would you let me take care of you for a change?”

Liam breathed out a laugh, closing his eyes briefly to hide that the movement resulted in unexpected pain. 

“Honestly,” Daniel continued, with false sternness. “I’m kind of glad this happened. Puts a little balance into our relationship.”

Liam looked up at him eloquently, smiling when Daniel pressed two fingers to his lips and then pressed them to Liam’s own. He pursed his mouth to kiss him back. And then, suddenly, he remembered a very fuzzy conversation that filled him with just a touch of dread.

“Were my parents here earlier?”

Daniel nodded. “I called your mom. They’re getting something to eat in the cafeteria now.”

“Oh God, she must be – ”

“She’s…a force.”

“That’s one word,” Liam agreed, laughing and immediately cringing. He waved Daniel’s hand away when he tried to help. “So, she knows about us then.”

“Is that OK?”

“Is it?”

Daniel nodded, and they smiled at each other. Liam was about to cajole him into leaning down and giving him a proper kiss. Before he could, another person walked into the room. Liam turned, expecting a doctor or nurse or even his parents. He was _not_ expecting Laila.

“What are – ” he didn’t have a chance to finish the question before she was fussing over him in a manner far too reminiscent of their mother. “You flew all the way here?” he asked, once she finally backed away.

“Yes, of course.”

Liam shook his head, then turned to look at Daniel. “My sister, Laila.”

Daniel held his hand to his chest, and Liam grinned at the gesture as well as Laila’s complete and expected disregard of it. Instead, she walked around the bed and pulled Daniel into a hug. Liam fought another laugh at Daniel’s expression, which was a mix of surprise and happiness. The shock was similar to the way he still sometimes acted around Tia and her family. Liam knew it was due to the way his own family had rejected him. Even Harrison’s parents had been distant, Daniel had told him, in the few years they knew each other before their deaths. While they had been more accepting of their son’s sexual orientation than Daniel’s had been, they were less pleased that he’d shacked up with a white guy. For years, while he and Harrison had friends, of course, their little group of three was something so insular and fiercely protected, that he still wasn’t fully used to the idea of more family. 

Between Liam’s mother and sister, he knew Daniel would have to get used to it in a hurry.

**

Jira stopped in at the hospital, bringing the _real_ coffee and some school work her dad had requested. She had meant to make it a quick visit, before leaving for home. She wanted to see her Dad and Mr. Bhatt, of course, but the number of people basically living in his room was starting to get crushing. Apparently, Tia and Ethan had even popped in for a visit earlier that afternoon.

She wasn’t allowed to leave immediately, of course. Mr. Bhatt’s parents and his sister, Laila, who was quickly becoming one of Jira’s new favorite people, peppered her with questions about her life and school and her plans for college and her friends and what she thought about her dad and Mr. Bhatt being together and whether she was OK with her dad moving on and how she was doing now after such a rough year and if she was dating anyone and and and…

Eventually she broke away, pulling her dad out into the hall to check in just the two of them. 

“Is this what grandparents are like?” she wondered.

Her dad laughed, raising his eyebrows and twisting to look back into the room briefly.

“You held up pretty well under the Indian Inquisition. But, really, everything OK with you? We haven’t had a chance to talk much.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Do what you need to do here. When are they letting him out?”

“Probably tomorrow.” Daniel hesitated, and Jira nodded in encouragement, somehow immediately knowing what he was going to ask. “I thought maybe he’d want to come stay with us for a few days until he’s back to full strength.”

“Have you talked about it?”

“No, I wanted to check with you first.”

Jira shrugged. “Of course, it’s OK. He’ll need help.”

“In the guest room, obviously. It’s not…It won’t be – ”

“Dad, it’s fine.”

He relaxed, nodding. Jira stepped closer to hug him. “Ugh, you need a shower,” she informed him, before pulling away and walking down the hall.

“Thank you,” he called after her. Her only response was to wave over her shoulder.

**

Laila entered the room in a whirlwind, much like she always did. Liam looked up at her and smiled. He was sitting up, and eating some real – well, real-ish – food, and the nurse had rubbed some dry shampoo into his hair earlier, so he was almost feeling human. Better still, they were going to spring him sometime later that day.

“Well, I’m heading out. Have to catch a plane and get back to work.”

“You really did not need to come out here,” Liam said again.

“Ah, shaddup. Of course, I did.”

She dropped into the seat by the bed and they sat quietly for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s company. Liam scraped some Jell-O out of the cup and took a bite. Laila, unsurprisingly, took that moment to start in on him.

“He’s cute. For an older dude.”

“He’s not that old.”

She shrugged. “Jira’s awesome.”

“Yes, she is,” Liam agreed with a smile.

“Seems like things have gotten pretty serious.”

Liam exhaled slowly, staring forward. He knew Laila was just teasing him, but there was a hint of honesty to the conversation as well. Eventually, he nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, they have.”

“Wedding bells serious?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “It’s been, like, four months.”

“Well, tell me you two at least are finally knocking boots on the regular.”

Liam sighed loudly, but he knew he was blushing. He shook his head, refusing to answer.

“Uh-huh,” Laila replied knowingly. 

After another moment or two of silence, she turned earnest. “You going to be OK? I can stay longer.”

“Please, Mom’s already mentally packed her suitcase. She’ll stay with me at least a week, and you know it. I’ll have to physically kick her out.”

Laila laughed. “Yeah, good luck.”

**

Liam knew exactly how his mother was going to respond, and he wasn’t surprised when she left a bit later to go get some clothes and some food so she could start getting his place ready for his return. He desperately hoped she didn’t do too much snooping while she was there, as he thought nervously about all the places she might find stashed condoms.

He _was_ surprised, though, when Daniel brought up the question of his post-op care. 

“So, Jira and I want you to stay with us. Until you feel better.”

Liam fought a smile, touched but also slightly exasperated. “No,” he said.

Daniel’s expression revealed he was more than surprised by the response. “No?”

“I told you before. We’re not going to rush anything between us because of this. If – _when_ I stay at your house, it’ll be because – ”

Daniel shook his head, stepping closer with some urgency. “I’m not trying to rush anything. We want…we want to take care of you.”

Liam tried to stay firm in his conviction. He tilted his head slightly, his mouth twitching into a smile as he searched for a response. He lifted a hand to Daniel’s cheek, using it to pull him closer and give him the first real kiss they’d shared since this all began. They separated only a short distance, their foreheads gently resting against each other.

“No,” Liam repeated.

Daniel huffed, stepping back and straightening up to glare down at him.

“My mother is already at my place, and there’s no winning that fight, trust me. But I’ll be cleared to go back to work in a week or so, the doctor says. Once that happens, I’ll convince her to leave, and I promise you, as soon as I get her out of the apartment, you can take over as primary obsessive caretaker.”

Daniel crossed his arms, pouting adorably as he worked his jaw. “Fine,” he finally said, making Liam laugh. 

And so, a couple hours later, Liam was given the go-ahead and submitted to being wheeled out of the hospital. His dad and Daniel followed, but Daniel stayed back as his dad helped him into the car. Liam glanced up in time to see Dr. Roberts murmur something to Daniel that made him blush. 

As his dad walked around to the driver’s side, Liam waved at Dr. Roberts, then beckoned Daniel closer. He placed his hand on the top of the door, leaning down into the car. 

“What did she say?” Liam teased.

Daniel looked at him, the expression in his eyes back to the simmering intensity that Liam was used to and far preferred over the worry that had been there the last couple days. 

“She said you’re a great catch and she’s happy for me.”

“Hmm. I am a pretty good catch.”

Daniel flashed him a smile, then reached out to briefly cup his cheek. “Text or call when you get settled at home.”

“Mm-hmm. Say hi to Jira.”

“I will.”

Daniel pulled away then, closing the door of the car and knocking a goodbye on the roof. Liam glanced at his dad, who raised an eyebrow at him as he started the engine. 

“Let’s go,” he said, trying not to blush.

**

“This is sooooo good,” Jira declared.

Daniel stopped his unpacking and turned to look at her as she scooped up some sauce with a piece of naan and took another bite. 

“We didn’t come over here so you could eat Liam out of house and home.”

“He offered it to me!”

“I did,” Liam defended her, even as he held a hand to his face and watched in slight dismay while Daniel continued to put things in his fridge and cupboards. “Between you and my mother, I might never have to go shopping again.”

“Hey! I am taking care of you now. You promised,” Daniel reminded him. 

Liam nodded to humor him. 

“OK,” Daniel said, folding up the last of the paper bags before grabbing a full plastic one from near his feet. He started to head out of the room. “Toiletries.”

Liam watched him walk out of the room with slight trepidation. He glanced at Jira. “Help yourself to more, if you want,” he said, before following Daniel.

When he caught up with him in the bathroom, he stepped up behind Daniel and wrapped his arms around him, looking over his shoulder to see them both in the mirror. 

“I don’t think I’m going to need five bottles of shower gel,” he observed. 

Daniel sighed. Liam let him go just enough so he could turn around to face him. He watched, waiting as Daniel stared at the floor, ultimately gesturing helplessly. When he finally made eye contact, the expression in his eyes made Liam want to kiss him. So, he did. 

“I needed to do something,” Daniel mumbled against his lips. 

“I know.”

“I didn’t – I didn’t get the chance to take care of Harrison.”

“I know.”

“I thought I was going to lose you too.”

“I know. But I’m not going anywhere.”

“Didn’t think he was either.”

Liam took a breath, not having much of an answer for that. Eventually, he just changed the subject, trying to break the tension with a joke. “Want to kick Jira out of here so you can give me a sponge bath?”

Daniel burst into laughter, as he’d hoped he would, and pulled away. Liam smiled at him. 

“No, I should probably get her home.”

“OK.”

“Are you going to be? OK, I mean. Here, by yourself.”

“Yes.” 

“You can come back to the house with us.”

“I’m going to be OK. I want some damn time to myself, actually. My mother grilled me about you and every other aspect of my life for a week.”

“How did you survive?” Daniel asked sarcastically. 

Liam winked at him, then led him out of the bathroom and back towards the kitchen. Jira had finished her snack and was now flipping through a textbook. Liam watched her for a second, then turned to face Daniel.

“Hey, can you take that trash and recycling down to the dumpster?”

“I thought you were doing better now and didn’t need any help,” Daniel responded, his jab lacking bite considering he was already walking over towards the bags in the corner. 

“It’s so heavy. I might pop my stitches.”

“Mm-hmm. Jira, be ready to go when I get back up here.”

Liam waited until Daniel left, and then he immediately turned to Jira. He leaned across the counter, resting on his elbows. She looked up at him curiously, even as she packed her book into her bag. 

“Hey, I haven’t thanked you yet. For saving my life.”

She beamed at him. “No problem.”

Liam walked around the counter. She stood and met him in a hug. Liam sighed, tilting down to kiss the top of her head. 

“Keep an eye on your dad, OK? I don’t think he took this particularly well.”

Jira snorted. “No, he didn’t. Please don’t do anything like that to us again.”

“_Us?_”

“I didn’t take it particularly well either. Kind of want you to stick around.”

Liam pulled out of the hug, smiling down at Jira. He held a hand to her cheek briefly. Before they could say anything else, the door opened. They stepped apart, both turning towards Daniel. Jira grabbed her backpack, then walked towards the door. 

“Good night, Mr. Bhatt,” she said. “Take care.”

“Night, Jira.”

Daniel stepped aside to let her out of the apartment. He looked back at Liam for one moment longer, until Liam nodded in reassurance.

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” he promised. 

Daniel nodded, then finally left. The door latched closed, leaving Liam alone for the first time in days. He took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“I love you,” he said to the space where Daniel had just been.


	9. Chapter 9

“I told you I wasn’t going to do it,” Daniel reminded Liam.

They both turned to look at the dunk tank. The principal was in there right now and had been dropped into the water more than once already. Students, parents and other community members were milling around the makeshift carnival, buying food, playing games, and otherwise adding to the trip fund. 

“Yeah, but I’m supposed to be in there next and, well, I really shouldn’t get my incision wet.”

Daniel stared at him, before exhaling an annoyed breath. “How much longer are you going to milk this?”

Liam waggled his eyebrows in a taunt. “I’ll make it up to you later,” he hinted.

“You’d better.”

As gleeful as Liam was at the prospect of seeing Daniel fall prey to as many students as possible, it was nothing compared to how excited Jira was when she saw him climb into the dunk tank. She led Matthew and Riley over and dumped about a dozen tickets onto the table. 

“All the balls. Give me all the balls,” she said. 

“Careful. That sounds so wrong,” Riley pointed out, even as they added their own tickets. 

Liam grinned, handing over the balls to Jira. Despite Daniel’s trash talk, she got him on the second throw and everyone nearby cheered. Liam even added a sarcastic-but-not-really whistle once Daniel surfaced and slicked his hair back.

**

“When is the trip?” Tia asked, dropping a dollar in the tip jar before turning away from the counter.

Jia picked up her drink and followed Tia to a nearby table. “First week of April. I’m really looking forward to it. We’re going to see so many things that I’ve only ever seen in TV and movies. Plus, one of our senators is going to give a talk to our group and we’ll get to sit in the Senate chamber, so that’s cool.”

“And you’re going to Hamilton on Broadway,” Tia added.

“Yeah, OK, that’s the coolest part. So glad they’re doing a special school discount, though!” 

“No kidding.”

“The only bad part is I have to share a room with freaking Angelica Barrett. Riley specifically asked for Matthew because, you know, the school isn’t quite up to speed with how to deal with students like them, and, well, they figured they’d be safest that way. So those two will be fine, but I don’t really have any other close friends to request as a roommate. And no one else requested her either, because she’s a bitch.”

Tia laughed, while also trying to give her a mock scolding face. “You can’t just share with your dad?”

Jira shook her head. “None of the parent chaperones will be staying with their kids. It’s partly to make sure no one gets special treatment and partly to give us a taste of dorm life, since most of the kids who earned spots on the trip will be going to college. And I suspect my dad would have said no anyway.”

“He’d rather share with someone else?” Tia asked knowingly.

“Yeah. Gross.”

“You OK with that?”

Jira shrugged. “It still hurts sometimes, but I try not to let on. He’s so happy. We’re all…really happy right now. I kind of keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? I’m almost hoping the appendicitis was it. But…”

“But?”

Jira sighed, turning to look out the window. “The anniversary is this Saturday. Things might get weird.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Jira shook her head. “I think we’ll have to muddle through it by ourselves.”

**

Daniel hadn’t slept at all the night before, and he was staring blankly up at the ceiling as the sun started to creep across it. So many things had happened since that time last year, when the ringing of his phone woke him up and changed his life forever. The bed felt bigger and emptier than it had in a long time, even though he should be more than used to being the only one who slept in it by then.

God, there was a part of him that wanted Harrison beside him and always would, no matter how much he tried to move forward. It wasn’t only for Jira’s sake that he still resisted having Liam over. Taking Liam to the bed he’d shared with his husband really would be the final marker of change, and he wasn’t ready for that yet. 

He was glad it was Saturday, at least. He didn’t want to go to school, and he knew Jira felt the same way, yet neither of them particularly wanted to put up with the sympathy that would have come with staying home and drawing even more attention to it. 

The buzz of his phone interrupted Daniel’s thoughts, and he leaned over to grab it, ignoring the momentary panic that it would be something awful again. 

_I’m here if you need anything._

The message was simple, understandably. Liam had been so hesitant the afternoon before, finally admitting he didn’t know what to say or do. Daniel, of course, didn’t know either, and couldn’t offer any sort of guidance for how they were all supposed to make it through the next day. All he could do was ask Liam to leave him and Jira alone to deal with it their own way. He apologized for it, feeling unnecessarily guilty and trying to convince Liam he shouldn’t take it the wrong way. Liam had waved it off, although he wasn’t entirely able to hide that it hurt his feelings a bit even as he reminded Daniel there was nothing to be sorry for. 

But he couldn’t think about that much longer, as the next sound that distracted him was Jira’s soft steps as she climbed the stairs. When she rounded the top of the staircase, Daniel put his phone back on the table. They stared at each other wordlessly for a moment, then Daniel patted the mattress. Jira hurried across the remaining distance, and Daniel scooted over, moving fully onto Harrison’s side of the bed and wrapping an arm around Jira as she snuggled next to him. 

“Get any sleep?” he asked quietly.

She shook her head, and soon he felt his shirt dampen from her tears. “I miss him so much,” she whispered.

“I do too.” 

They cried then, again, somehow finding more tears despite the massive amounts they’d already shed over the last year. They held each other close, taking strength from the embrace until they eventually calmed. Daniel reached across to the table for the box of Kleenex. He handed her a couple sheets and she wiped at her eyes before blowing her nose. 

Jira sighed, stuffing the Kleenex up her sleeve before shifting closer to him. Then, suddenly, she yawned widely. Daniel smiled.

“Let’s try to get some rest,” he suggested. 

She nodded, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes. Daniel stared down at her for a few seconds more, then shut his own eyes. 

Later, over breakfast, he asked her how she wanted to approach the day. 

“I think it’s long past time we clean out his books and his clothes,” she said, as if she’d been thinking about it for a while. “If you’re ready for that.”

Daniel focused on his coffee mug, then nodded slowly. It wasn’t like it was going to be that much of a change. Daniel never went in the drawers that had been Harrison’s anyway, and most of his items in the closet had been pushed back into the corners already, while his books had been returned to the shelves to make room on the desk for Daniel’s teaching materials and legal papers. It was just a matter of taking that last step to free those spaces entirely. 

“OK,” he agreed. “Let’s do the clothes first.”

They split the work, with Jira taking the closet and Daniel taking the drawers, sorting the clothes into donate and toss piles on the bed. Daniel kept a few things – the college t-shirt that Harrison used as a pajama top, the tie he wore at their wedding – off to the side, trying not to be too obvious about it. After lunch, they moved to the office. Daniel began by pulling med school textbooks off the top shelf that Jira would have no hope of reaching. He glanced over at where she was collecting all of Harrison’s murder mystery novels that they had loved to tease him about.

“Did you want to keep any of these books?” he asked. “They might be helpful to you someday.”

Jira stood and walked over. She ran her fingers over the covers, then shrugged. “They’ll probably all have newer editions by the time I get there,” she pointed out, even as she picked up the copy of Gray’s Anatomy and hugged it to her chest. Daniel remembered how she used to sit on Harrison’s lap to look at the pictures when she was younger, and he smiled sadly. 

“Dad?” 

“Hmm?”

“Can I – can I have his ring? I know you said it’d be mine someday, but…can I have it now?” 

He closed his eyes, fighting against the clutch at his heart that almost made him deny her request outright. He took it off long ago, if not his own, but it still – he still – he exhaled. 

“Yes, of course,” he agreed. He put the book in his hand down and walked around the desk. Sitting in the chair, he pulled open the top drawer and grabbed the box. “We can get you a chain or something, if you want to wear it as a necklace.”

Jira nodded. “I like that idea.”

He held it out and placed it gently in her cupped palm, letting it go after a beat. 

“Your wedding was such a good day,” she remembered wistfully, sliding the ring onto her thumb for safekeeping. 

“Yes, it was.” Daniel smiled. “Second best day of my life.”

Jira rolled her eyes, turning back to the bookshelf. “What was the first?” she asked sarcastically.

“The day we brought you home,” Daniel replied breezily, closing the drawer and standing to return to his task. 

“And remind me again, where did I sleep?”

He smirked at her as he patted his chest, making Jira laugh. 

They finished their cleaning and packing, throwing the trash bags in the bin and taking the donations to the center immediately. And on the way home, Jira convinced him to go the cemetery with her. Neither of them acknowledged that it was the first time he’d been there since the funeral, and Daniel admitted to himself that it wasn’t as unbearable as he feared it would be. Seeing the stone didn’t make things any realer or sadder than they already felt just by having to live each day without him. It was hard to believe, though, that the grass had filled in and the ground now looked undisturbed. That did drive home just how long it had been. 

All in all, the day had been rough, but it had been manageable. They made it through it. After Jira went to her bedroom for the evening, Daniel took his cell phone and went into his bedroom closet, closing the door, wanting as much privacy as he could possibly get. He sat on the floor, his back to the wall below where Harrison’s clothes used to hang. He lifted his phone and dialed. 

“Hello? Daniel?” Liam answered just before the second ring.

“The truth is,” he said, not bothering with a greeting, “I’m sad and I miss him but if he were still here, I wouldn’t have you and just thinking that feels like such a betrayal but – I’m falling…I’ve fallen for you. Hard.”

There was nothing but silence in response, and Daniel could almost picture the shocked confusion on Liam’s face slowly turning into a smile. The thought unexpectedly made his own face crumple and he lifted his free hand to stifle a sob.

“Daniel, what’s wrong?” Liam asked softly.

“Just…am I forgetting him?”

“No,” Liam said gently. “No.”

“I’m afraid I will, and I’m afraid of…”

“Afraid of what?”

Daniel heaved a breath, blinking away his tears and wiping the back of his wrist against his nose as he sniffed. “If I let myself…_care_ about you, does that mean I no longer love him? Or that I didn’t love him as much as I thought I did?”

“Of course not. It just means…life goes on.”

They were both silent again, and Daniel wished he could see Liam’s face. Finally, he said, “You’re not second best, you know.” He ignored Liam’s attempt to interrupt, knowing he’d just try to downplay, as usual, any concerns he had on the matter to make Daniel feel better. “The way I feel about you, it’s different, but I – ”

“Nope,” Liam interrupted him much more firmly, rather surprising Daniel. “Not today, not over the phone, not because you think you need to explain yourself to me. Feel what you feel, about him and about me, but saying it can wait.”

Daniel blinked, parsing through the statement. After a moment, he unexpectedly laughed. “How long are you going to make me wait to say it?”

Liam chuckled. “Not much longer,” he promised. Then, he sighed and added, “I wish I was there so I could hug you.”

“Can I see you tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.” 

They were both silent a moment longer. Daniel listened to Liam breathing, smiling softly. Finally, they said good night and hung up. Daniel lowered his phone into his lap and tilted his head back to rest against the wall. He fought tears for several moments, ultimately winning the battle. He took several deep breaths and wiped at his eyes. 

“I love you,” he murmured, to Harrison or to Liam or to both of them.


	10. Chapter 10

“Ugh,” Daniel complained, dropping onto the foot of the bed and immediately falling onto his back. “My feet are killing me.”

Liam glanced at him from the other bed where he was untying his shoes. “Don’t worry. This is the longest walking day.”

“Very much looking forward to sitting down tomorrow, even if it means I have to listen to a politician.”

Liam chuckled, tossing his shoes underneath the luggage bench. He was about to respond when sudden laughter from next door interrupted him. He looked at the wall for a moment, then focused on Daniel again. 

“How long are we going to let that go on?”

Daniel shrugged. “Ten? Or until Jira sends a covert text for help.”

“Poor kid,” Liam observed. He pushed himself off the bed but didn’t go far. He tossed aside one of the pillows on the other bed so he could sit in its place, and then he began to thread his fingers through Daniel’s hair, enjoying the serene smile that grew on Daniel’s face. “I wouldn’t wish Angelica Barrett on anyone.”

“No one wanted to room with her, and yet it sounds like there are about five other girls over there, squealing, right now.” 

Liam nodded in amused agreement, before leaning down to kiss Daniel at an admittedly awkward angle. 

“What are you doing?” Daniel asked knowingly once he pulled away.

Liam hummed, sliding his hand under Daniel’s loose collar to, well, grope at his chest. 

“I think you know.”

“Please tell me this is not how you and Carl would de-stress on this trip in the past.”

Liam’s snort in response was loud and rather unattractive, and he searched desperately for a way to respond in kind, but the idea was too off-putting to even joke about. So, he went for honesty instead.

“Have I mentioned how happy I am that you are with me this year?”

“You know we’re not doing anything this week, right?”

Liam sat up straight, frowning. “Nothing?”

“I might kiss you sometimes, if you behave.”

“Daniel,” Liam protested, coming dangerously close to whining. “We’re going to be sharing a room for a whole week and _nothing_? I _just_ got cleared for ‘physical activity.’ It’s been ages.”

“Believe me, I’m aware. We’re also technically working, and sharing a wall with my daughter and another student.” As if on cue, a very loud shriek rung out next door. Daniel huffed, sitting up and then standing. “If we can hear them, they can hear us.”

With that, he headed out of the room, all stern taskmaster. Liam groaned and fell to his side on the bed, looking after him with more than a small degree of lust. It was going to be a long trip.

**

The other girls were being too loud and obnoxious to hear the sound of someone knocking, so Jira sighed and stood up, pocketing her phone. She had been texting Matthew and Riley forlornly, wishing she could hang out in their room instead, but not wanting to get in trouble. Only one of these girls, after all, should be in the room with her. She supposed she was a bit more on edge than other students, considering her dad was a teacher _and_ a chaperone _and_ right next door, but they could at least pretend to follow the rules too.

She opened the hotel room door to reveal her dad and immediately felt guilty. He gave her a look and she widened her eyes in protest of her innocence. But then, he just smiled at her, nodding so she stepped back and let him enter the room fully.

“Hey,” he said, loud enough to get the others’ attention. “I’ll give you five more minutes, and then everyone goes back to their own rooms and goes to sleep quietly. Do _not_ make me come back here. Don’t forget the behavior codes you all signed to go on this trip.”

There was a chorus of _yes, Mr. Calder_s that did not sound entirely sincere, but he accepted it and turned to leave. Jira followed him to the door.

“You couldn’t have sent them away now?” she muttered.

He offered her a small smile and shrug as she closed the door. She returned to her spot on her bed, already pulling out her phone again.

“I guess we have to finish our game quickly,” Angelica complained. “And also, have I mentioned that it’s so lame we’re playing a drinking game for nothing but bragging points.”

“Yeah, like we could sneak in alcohol,” complained Cecilia. “Not with the _behavior codes_.”

The pointed tone with which she said that prompted Jira to look up. At least three of the girls were giving her snarky looks. Jira scoffed.

“I didn’t write the code or make you sign them,” she reminded them, before adding “and lame is ableist” under her breath. 

“NEVER HAVE I EVER,” Angelica said, trying to get her stupid game back on track. After a significant pause, she continued, “walked in on my parents having sex.”

Jira winced at the sound of six girls _eww_ing at once. Eventually, Kalen and Monica raised their hands, provoking mocking laughter from the other girls. But Angelica seemed far too focused on Jira, which made her nervous.

“What about you, Jira?” 

“I’m not playing,” she deflected.

“Oh, come on. Tell us.”

“No.”

“No, you won’t tell us, or no, you didn’t?”

“It’s a little disturbing how curious you are about this.”

“Well, if not your dads, then how about your dad and Mr. Bhatt?”

Jira froze, even as the other girls all shrieked, most sounding shocked. She lowered her phone to stare at them all, trying to keep her face calm, even pretending to be bemused by the question. 

“What are you even talking about?” 

“Oh, come on, it’s so obvious they’re together.”

Jira shook her head. “I think I would know better than you.”

“Maybe your dad hasn’t told you because he doesn’t think you could handle it,” Angelica mocked. 

Jira rolled her eyes. 

“I wonder who _tops_. That’s what it’s called, right, Jira?”

Jira glared for a moment, then lifted her phone again. “It’s been five minutes,” she lied. 

“Ugh, you’re no fun. Such a goody two shoes.”

But the other girls finally left the room, and Jira turned away from Angelica, pretending to go to sleep. God, she was the worst, and Jira really didn’t know if they would both survive the week. She did her best to protect her dad and Mr. Bhatt from the student gossip mill, at least. She better let them know about it, though.

**

When Daniel walked into their hotel room, he found Liam back in his own bed, in a t-shirt and – Daniel guessed, though he couldn’t see under the blankets – boxers. He was reading and didn’t acknowledge Daniel’s return. Daniel faced the door as he closed it and flipped the deadbolt, using the opportunity to smile and then control his expression.

“I gave them five minutes,” he said, turning again. 

“Hmm,” Liam responded, not looking up. 

Daniel walked over to his suitcase and proceeded to strip to his own underwear. He did it slowly, just in case Liam was surreptitiously watching, but not slowly enough to be obvious about it. Then, he walked over to his bed, pulled down the sheets, and climbed in. Lying on his side, he propped his head up and stared at Liam. He was doing an admirable but not fully convincing job of pretending not to pay any attention to Daniel.

“Are you giving me the silent treatment?” Daniel asked, smirking.

“No, I’m reading for class.”

“Ah.”

“We’re technically working, remember?”

Daniel coughed to hide his laugh. “You gonna be mad at me all trip?”

There was a slight flinch at the grammar but Liam didn’t rise to that bait. His only response was to simply turn the page of his book. Daniel watched him for a few more moments, running his tongue along his lower lip. 

Finally, he said, “Let’s compromise.”

Liam’s head twitched in his direction, and he raised a curious eyebrow. Daniel grinned.

“We can sleep in the same bed. We’ll just mess up the sheets on the other one so it looks slept in.”

Liam hesitated, almost seeming to struggle with wanting to continue giving Daniel a hard time while also wanting to give in. Just when Daniel wondered if he was going to make him beg, Liam closed the book and put it on the table between the beds. Daniel smiled, scooting back and flipping the sheets aside to let Liam in. 

Liam reached out to shut off the lamp as he crossed between the beds, and then he laid down, stretching out alongside Daniel. Daniel brought the sheets up, then wrapped his arm around Liam, holding him tight. Liam made a sort of grumble-moan of contentment, moving his shoulders as he got comfortable. Daniel sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the embrace. 

A few relaxing moments passed. Then, out in the hall, he heard a door open and the sound of several teenagers dispersing. Daniel picked up his head to glance at the clock. 

“Four minutes,” he said in surprise.

“You must have put the fear of God in them,” Liam joked. 

“I’m just happy I don’t have to get out of this bed again tonight.”

“Not as happy as I am.”

With a soft smile, Daniel buried his face in Liam’s neck. He inhaled his scent and kissed his shoulder lightly. And, after they’d been silent for another minute or two, Daniel made his move. He slid his hand down Liam’s torso and side, hooking it around his hip and finally landing on his boxers over his bulge. 

Liam jerked in surprise, pushing back against Daniel’s chest and twisting one hand back to grab his shoulder. 

“What are you doing, you goddamn tease?” he asked, his laugh cutting off when Daniel started to fondle him through the fabric. 

“Can’t help it,” Daniel muttered, his movements getting more determined. “You’re irresistible.”

He pushed his fingers through the opening of the boxers, finding Liam’s hardening cock blindly and wrapping his hand around it. Liam gasped, then let out a concerningly loud groan at the contact. Daniel squeezed, almost in punishment. “I’ll only keep going if you’re quiet,” he warned. 

Liam clearly tried, biting his lip to prevent himself from reacting too much, but eventually he started to whimper, his breath turning heavy and labored, and he even growled once at a particularly nice stroke. Daniel knew they really shouldn’t be risking this, but by that point, he was more than keen on continuing himself. 

“Need to figure out something else,” he declared, stopping his movement.

Liam grunted at the interruption, but after taking a few seconds to calm down, he nodded, licking his lips and catching his breath before speaking. “Something quieter and stiller.”

“Any ideas?” Daniel asked, feeling pretty desperate. 

Liam turned his head closer to Daniel, tilting up to kiss Daniel’s chin. “We might not be math teachers but I think we both know one number.”

It took Daniel a minute to figure it out, and he blamed the fuzziness of arousal clouding his brain, but he _did_ figure it out and that was the important part. Rather than responding verbally, he climbed to his hands and knees, crawling and twisting around to get into place. He ignored Liam’s chuckle as he balanced on one hand while tugging Liam’s boxers down with the other. Feeling Liam slide his own shorts down was harder to disregard. 

Daniel grabbed at the base, squeezing again but lighter this time. He turned his head to the side, dragging his open mouth up along Liam until he reached the top, and then he took him deep. Liam moaned once, before cutting off the sound by occupying his lips and tongue and throat in ways that made Daniel nearly collapse on top of him. Unintentionally, Daniel started rocking his hips down, catching himself only when the next muffled sound he heard was light choking. The last thing they needed, if the goal was to be discreet. He forced himself to remain still, helped along by Liam reaching his hands up to massage his ass, dipping his fingers between the crease even as he used the move to hold Daniel at a distance. 

Perhaps neither one of them was completely silent as things progressed through soft, hungry, little moans to shudders of ecstasy, but Daniel was pretty sure they were quiet enough. By the end of the trip, he predicted they’d have it down to an art. And in the back of his head, he realized it was good practice for when Liam came to the house someday and they’d have to be conscious of Jira in the other room. Two birds and all that. He and Harrison had developed plenty of tricks over the years for that purpose, and he was more than willing to teach them to Liam.

**

The alarm went off far too early, considering their activities the night before, and Liam groaned in protest. It was, however, a far more delightful wake-up call when Daniel started nibbling and kissing his neck. They were both still naked, Daniel’s fingers tracing along the scar on Liam’s abdomen. The skin there was simultaneously sensitive and numb, and so the contact was strangely titillating. He was beginning to react predictably, half-hearted morning fullness turning into something much more demanding, and he wondered if they’d have enough time for another round before they had to meet the students and other chaperones in the breakfast room downstairs.

Unfortunately, before he could suggest such a thing, there was a knock on the door. Both of them turned to look at it, annoyed and maybe just a bit alarmed. 

“I’ll get it,” Daniel said.

Liam nodded. “I’m going to go into the bathroom. Probably shouldn’t answer the door like this.”

“Naked?” Daniel laughed, until Liam pushed the sheets off and stood, and he realized what he meant. 

It was Liam’s turn to laugh, this time at the expression of pleased interest on Daniel’s face mixed with dismay that he wasn’t able to act on it. Liam reached out to mess the sheets on the other bed up a bit more, grabbed his pajamas from the floor, and disappeared into the bathroom. A few moments later, he heard the room door open, some muffled voices, and the door closing again.

“It’s Jira,” Daniel called. 

Liam acknowledged that with a response garbled around his toothbrush. He spent a few more moments thinking desire-killing thoughts, then went out to join the other two. Jira was sitting on Liam’s supposed bed. 

“This almost looks real,” she observed, gesturing at the disheveled sheets.

Liam looked at Daniel, who responded with a vaguely sarcastic smile at his daughter. Choosing to avoid saying anything, Liam walked over to his suitcase and grabbed his clothes for the day. “I’m taking a shower.”

“Yeah, I gotta finish getting ready,” Jira replied. “Just wanted to come over and tell you that some of the students are suspecting things, so if you want to keep this a secret still, you better tone it down a bit.”

Liam and Daniel glanced at each other, agreeing without words to adjust their behavior accordingly. It was one thing to be relatively unguarded in front of friends, the general public, even colleagues at times. But neither one of them wanted to be the subject of student gossip. 

“Which students?” Daniel asked curiously.

“Angelica.”

Oh God, Liam thought. Especially not her.


	11. Chapter 11

“I’m home!” Jira called out, closing the door behind her and heading for the stairs.

“Come in here, please,” her dad replied, the echo of his voice suggesting he was in the dining room.

With a small sigh, Jira changed directions and headed towards him. He smiled up at her as she walked in, pushing aside his grading and reaching across the table for an envelope.

“You got some mail.”

Jira tilted her head curiously, stepping closer to the table. The way he said it indicated it was important, and she felt nervous. Her heart rate picked up as he handed her the envelope. She looked at the return address, then looked at him. 

He nodded, sucking air through his teeth with an anticipatory smile. “Open it.”

Jira hesitated. Should it be bigger? What would be the sign of an acceptance or rejection, she wondered. Eventually, her dad gestured to hurry her up.

“It’s just the first one,” he reminded her.

Jira nodded, feeling silly. She had three other ones to wait for, regardless of what this one said. She ripped open the envelope without letting herself think about it again, and she pulled out the sheets inside. Her hands seemed to shake as she held it up to read it. The lines of text didn’t make sense at first and then…

“I got in!”

Her dad jumped to his feet, his chair almost falling as it was pushed back. He cheered, pulling her into a hug, but all she could do was laugh. 

“I’m so proud of you,” her dad said, and Jira hugged him tighter. 

“Oh my God, I can’t believe I have to go through that three more times. It was so stressful.”

Chuckling, her dad let her go. He lifted a hand to push some hair behind her ear, smiling down at her. “Yeah, but now you know you’re going somewhere, so it’ll be better.”

“And it’s in Chicago.”

Her dad smiled wider. “I suppose we should start thinking about campus visits, huh?”

“Yeah, but first, I gotta call people and brag.”

She stayed in the room with him, sitting down to dial the first person on her must-know list. Tia nearly shrieked with joy, promising to go through the course catalog online as soon as she could, so she could start suggesting all the classes that Jira needed to take. She could hear Ethan and Benny in the background cheering as well, although she suspected Benny was just having fun more than actually understanding why it mattered. They talked a few minutes, but then Jira begged off, promising to talk more about it later. 

She could tell by her Dad’s slight double-take and then small smile that he wasn’t expecting her to say “Hi, Mr. Bhatt, guess what?!” when the next person answered their phone. She was pretty sure a part of him was still convinced that she was just humoring him or something, and she secretly didn’t like that they were together. Whatever, he’d get over that eventually. Meanwhile, when she told him her news, Mr. Bhatt only said, “Like there was any doubt,” which made her laugh and mockingly preen. The text that came in later that night, with congratulations from Laila, simply made her grin and shake her head. 

Before that, though, the last calls were of course with Matthew and Riley. Riley had received an acceptance letter of their own to NYU that day, but Matthew was still waiting for his first admissions decision. They only had one college in common between the three of them, and none of them ranked it at the same level, so the odds were that they would have to say goodbye to each other soon. Jira didn’t want to think about that too much at the moment. That night, she just wanted to celebrate. Things changed; she knew that better than anyone. It didn’t mean that change always led to loss and pain.

**

Daniel carefully held the plate in one hand while knocking on Jira’s door with the other.

“Come in,” she said, her tone making it clear she knew what to expect when he pushed open the door. 

Daniel smiled at her as he entered. She was still in bed, but sitting up, her arms crossed over her lap as she waited. She shook her head at him, amused. 

“Please don’t sing.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

He walked closer, sitting on the edge of her bed and then held the cupcake out. She took a deep breath, leaning forward to blow the candle out with one quick puff. Little smoke tendrils rose from it. 

“Make a wish?”

“Can’t tell you. It won’t come true.”

Daniel leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Happy birthday, punchkin.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

She took the cupcake, and he stood up. “You know the rules,” he reminded her with mock strictness as he started to head out.

Jira nodded solemnly. “Eat carefully so the crumbs only land on the plate and not in my bed. Get ready for school. Come downstairs and eat a real breakfast.”

“That’s right.”

“You’re so weird.”

Daniel grinned back at her.

**

Some of the things Jira did on her birthday – the traditional cupcake-in-bed of course, the loud and obnoxious singing from Matthew and Riley outside her locker, and she hoped the dinner later with her dad and Mr. Bhatt – were wonderful. Other things – namely, her secret solo visit to the cemetery – were bittersweet, even hard. She didn’t know what to expect for the part of her birthday that would fall between the cemetery and dinner.

She walked into the coffee shop, looking around and spotting Tia in the back, sitting on the couch. Tia waved, then pointed at the two drinks on the table in front of her, so Jira bypassed the counter and went straight back. Tia stood as she approached, pulling Jira into a hug. 

“Happy birthday, Jira,” she said, her voice catching a bit. 

Jira squeezed her tightly, feeling surprisingly emotional. Eventually, they let go and sat down. Tia forced a laugh to lighten the mood.

“I refuse to believe I have an 18-year-old daughter.”

“Yeah, you’re definitely ancient,” Jira agreed, laughing. 

They both fell into an awkward silence. Jira leaned forward, picking up her mug and sipping, just for something to do. She put it down, swallowed, and reminded herself that she didn’t need to feel weird asking these sorts of things. She and Tia knew how to get past the discomfort and talk about them now.

“Can you tell me? About that day, I mean?”

Tia nodded, clearly having expected the question. She picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her skirt, before smoothing it over her leg. “Your dad was there for part of it,” she noted. “What have you heard already?”

“Seeing me for the first time,” Jira said slowly, thinking about the stories she used to hear. “Taking me home. I guess they’d mostly focus on how they felt rather than, like, a narrative of events, you know? What Harrison thought when he first picked me up and later, when he first saw me in Daniel’s arms. Dad has this running joke about how I slept on his chest. I think it was almost hard for them to talk about, actually. They had been afraid to hope for so long that it didn’t even seem real when it finally happened. That’s what my Dad hinted about it once, anyway.”

“I remember thinking it was weird that I only ever talked to Harrison,” Tia recalled. “At least until he explained to me that it was because only he could adopt at first. That was the way things worked back then, or that was my understanding. I think your dad stayed away to make the legal stuff go smoother, but I wonder if it was also because he – didn’t want to meet me, or even see you until it was all final, because it would just be more painful if things fell through.”

“Maybe,” Jira mused. “I never really thought about it like that.”

They were both silent for a while. And then Tia took a breath, breaking them out of the moment. “So, I went into labor at 4 AM, so thank you very much for that. Suzanne was with me. My parents were still pissed as hell about the pregnancy, about me not marrying Isaiah as if that had even been an option, even a little bit mad that I didn’t get an abortion and at the same time that I was giving you up. I don’t think they even knew what to think about it all. But Suzanne? She just supported me and helped me with it all. We went to the hospital and what you probably wouldn’t believe is that a lot of it is actually boring as hell. Waiting, waiting, waiting for something to happen. I walked around a lot, except when the contractions were so bad, I could barely move.”

“You’re welcome,” Jira teased.

“Hurt like a son of a bitch, I’m telling you. But then…there you were.”

“Did you hold me?”

“I did,” Tia said. “You were – well, I was going to say you were gorgeous, but frankly that’s a lie. All newborns look like wrinkly prunes.”

Jira barked a laugh, but quickly sobered. “How did you…feel?”

Tia hesitated. She seemed to search for words. “In TV shows, the mother is always like ‘oh, I can’t do this, I want to keep the baby’ and then they either do, or they eventually decide it’s still the right choice. But…I didn’t think that. I knew it was the right choice, both to give you up and to give you to your dads. I had no worries about that. But I loved you immediately, and I knew I was going to miss you terribly and I was always going to wonder who you grew into. I’m so happy I got to find out.” 

Jira smiled at her, but was otherwise silent, thinking. “I don’t know if I would have ever sought you out,” she confessed, “if it hadn’t been for what happened. I didn’t need to know you. I didn’t…want to know you. Not because I resented or hated you or anything. I just – I thought of you as some sort of abstract concept, not a real person that I needed for my life to be whole and complete.”

Tia nodded. “That makes sense. I don’t know if I would have ever tried to find you, either. Partly because I wouldn’t have wanted to cause you problems, partly because I didn’t feel I had the right, and partly because…I’m not sure.”

“Because you’re Benny’s mom, not mine?” Jira suggested.

“Yeah,” Tia agreed. “That’s as good as any a way to put it. Maybe if I hadn’t met Harrison, I would have felt differently, I don’t know. But having met him, knowing that you were going to be growing up with him and this other man that he just _raved_ about…I just knew you were OK.”

“I was,” Jira promised. “_More_ than OK, even. And it seems so weird to say it, but I am again, now. A different kind of OK, but still…happy, you know? And you’re a big reason I was able to make it through all that and get to where I am now. So, thank you.”

“Oh, Jira,” Tia replied, leaning closer to wrap her in a hug. “_Thank you_.”

They hung out a bit longer, switching to lighter topics. At some point, Tia produced a gift, a glass box that she bought at a street art fair that Jira adored, mostly because it was clearly supposed to resemble an anatomically-correct heart. But eventually, Jira had to leave in order to get home in time for dinner.

“I gotta see what Mr. Bhatt got me,” she joked as she stood and pulled on her jacket. “I told him since he’s trying to suck up to me to get my dad, I’m expecting something awesome.”

Tia shook her head, amused. “What did he say to that?”

“That I’ll get the most awesome gift that $20 could buy,” Jira replied, laughing. 

Later, Jira texted Tia a pic of her wearing a university hoodie, along with the caption _I guess Mr. Bhatt’s made his vote for my college choice known! Good thing it’s my choice too!_

Tia replied with several approving emojis. _Those things are super overpriced!_ She added in a second message. _He spent more than 20._

_Ha!_ Jira sent back. _I guess he really likes my dad._

_Yeah, sure. It’s only because of your dad. ;)_

**

Two weeks after her birthday, Jira was sitting at the kitchen counter, chatting with her dad as they prepared dinner; he was cutting meat while she snapped beans. They weren’t talking about anything of much importance, just enjoying each other’s company. When his phone rang, her dad sighed at the interruption. He nodded towards it.

“Can you check that, punchkin?”

Jira nodded, turning on her stool and reaching across the table to grab it. She looked at the screen. It was some random number she didn’t recognize. 

“Who is it?” her dad asked, as he put down his knife and stepped to the sink to wash his hands. 

Jira shrugged. “Probably a sales call,” she guessed, answering it while ignoring her dad’s instructions of _don’t answer it, then_.

“Hello?” There was a long silence, despite it sounding like there was someone there, and Jira repeated the greeting, the second time with a bit more annoyance.

Finally, someone spoke. “May I speak with Daniel Calder, please?”

“Who’s calling?”

Another pause. “This is his mother.”

Jira could feel the blood drain from her face. She felt frozen, even as her dad made it over to her. 

“Who is it?” he asked, taking the phone from her without waiting for an answer. He then spoke into the phone. “Hello? Who is this?”

Jira looked up at him, still feeling paralyzed. She watched as an expressionless mask seemed to drop over his face. He was silent for a long beat, and then he focused on her. “Finish those beans; I’ll be right back.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond. Instead, he left the room, heading towards the office, maybe. He didn’t continue the conversation until he was well out of her hearing range.


	12. Chapter 12

Liam bounced on his feet as he waited for the door to open. He had been told more than once that he could just come in. While he didn’t have a key (yet), they usually left the door unlocked when they knew he was coming over later. But, well, he just didn’t feel comfortable doing that yet. So, he waited. And when Jira opened the door, he could tell immediately that something was going on. 

“What’s up?” he asked, following her inside. 

He placed the bottle of wine he brought on the table by the door as he removed his jacket. She took it from him, hanging it up, and he grabbed the bottle again. They walked towards the kitchen as she explained, and Liam nearly tripped over his feet at the answer.

“Dad’s on the phone right now. With his mother.”

“Really?” They arrived in the kitchen and Liam stepped around the counter, opening the top drawer and pulling out the corkscrew. “She called?”

Jira nodded, seeming entirely thrown.

“Huh.” It was hardly an eloquent response, and he’d need to do better when Daniel came back to the room. Ultimately, he was glad Jira told him so he had some time to prepare for that conversation.

**

Daniel stood in the corner of the office, his free hand resting on his stomach. He glared straight ahead, not really seeing anything. His mother had stopped speaking several seconds ago, but he hadn’t yet been able to bring himself to respond. Finally, he found his voice.

“He – never met my daughter,” he began, slowly at first and then gaining strength as he grew angrier. “He didn’t come to my wedding. He couldn’t bother to even call when my husband was murdered. And now…now, some homophobic jackass I haven’t spoken to in 30 years wants me to drop everything just because he’s dying? Sorry, I’m busy.”

He didn’t stop to wait for a response. He simply hung up the phone, his hand shaking as he pressed the end call button. He then turned off the phone, not interested in dealing with any attempts she might make to call him back. With a sharp exhale, he ran a hand through his hair and left the office.

Liam was there when he made it downstairs, and he watched from the hall for a moment as he and Jira cooked the food they had been preparing earlier. They were talking about something Daniel couldn’t quite make out, occasionally turning to look at each other. Daniel felt like his heart would burst with love for both of them. His – his family. He looked to the side, immediately finding the photograph of Harrison, Jira and him hanging on the wall. He thought of Tia, Ethan and Benny. Miles and Scoot. Elizabeth and Jess. All of them – they were the ones he chose. And he didn’t regret it. 

Daniel made a bit of noise as he walked into the room to alert them to his presence. “Good, I’m starving,” he announced, to show appreciation for the fact that they didn’t wait for him to keep going on dinner. 

He walked around the counter, grazing his hand along Jira’s shoulder as he continued on to greet Liam. He placed his palm on Liam’s side, stroking his thumb softly as he leaned in and kissed the corner of Liam’s mouth. The expression he got in return – a hint of heat, but far more concerned curiosity – made it clear that Jira had filled him in. Daniel smiled, nodded, tried to seem like everything was fine. Liam accepted that, for the moment, but Jira didn’t seem to pick up – or maybe she didn’t care about – the signals Daniel was sending to them that they should just ignore it and get on with their evening.

“What did she want?” Jira asked.

**

Jira stood quietly outside the office, watching her dad. She knew he thought she was asleep. She knew he knew that neither she nor Mr. Bhatt quite agreed with his decision to just avoid the whole thing. She knew he needed someone to talk to, and maybe he needed a hug too. She cleared her throat quietly.

He looked up, startled. His hair was disheveled, so she guessed he’d been running his hand through it. Even in the darkness, she could see that his eyes were a little red. 

“I thought you went to bed,” he said, half-scolding. “It’s late.”

Jira shrugged, walking farther into the room. He closed whatever he’d been looking at – a photo album by its appearance – and pushed his wine glass aside. Jira rounded the desk and hoisted herself up to sit on the edge of it. 

“What are you looking at?”

He sighed, and after a moment, he pulled the book closer again, flipping the cover open. Jira twisted to see it more clearly, immediately smiling at the old pictures of what appeared to be her dad at about 4 or 5 years old. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen pictures of you when you were this little.”

Her dad nodded. “I don’t remember the last time I looked at these.”

“This is him?” she asked, pointed at the man standing rather formally next to him in the picture. 

“Yep.”

He tapped his finger on another picture on the next page. This one was of a woman, her arms wrapped around little Daniel as they both smiled up at the camera. 

“My mother.”

Jira flipped through the pages, occasionally responding to the explanations and descriptions her dad gave. His brother, several cousins, and his grandparents all appeared throughout. The last page held high school graduation pictures. She could recognize her dad clearly now, although he was still younger than he was in any photos displayed around the house. He stood stiffly in his cap and gown, between his parents. There were no hugs in this one, and the smiles seemed forced. 

“I had my suitcases all packed, ready to go after the ceremony,” her dad commented quietly, traces of bitterness seeping through. “He wanted me to leave when I turned 18, but my mother convinced him to let me stay for the few weeks until I graduated.” 

“What does he have?” Jira wondered.

“Liver disease. Kidney failure. Drank himself to death.”

Jira was silent for a long time. She felt vaguely hypocritical, considering Isaiah and all, when she finally spoke. “You should go.”

“They have nothing to say that I want to hear.”

“I can come with you, if it will help.”

Her dad scoffed. “Absolutely not. You think Isaiah was bad? I would never subject you to them.” 

“Fine,” Jira agreed easily, choosing her battles. “I’ll stay with Tia or something. But…it’s not about what they want to say to you. It’s about what you have to say to them. You don’t have to forgive him, or tell him you love him, or deny your life or your relationship with dad or whatever. But you do have to say goodbye on your own terms. This is something I have more experience with than you, and I’m like…85% positive I’m right on this one.”

Her dad was silent, finally turning to look up at her. “Trying to guilt trip me?”

“Is it working?”

He sighed loudly.

**

Daniel walked down the hallway, wondering why all hospitals looked the same. If it weren’t for a couple posters, he could just as easily be in County or somewhere else in Chicago. And truthfully, he was only thinking that so he didn’t have to worry about the upcoming reunion. He wondered if he should have called his mother back, so she knew to expect him. But he was kind of surprised that he actually went through with it. Even when he was standing outside the front door of the hospital, he was seriously considering turning around and going home.

There was really no getting out of it now, he realized, as he stopped outside the correct room. He looked at the number, and the slip of paper in the slot underneath with his dad’s name on it, and he breathed in and out slowly, closing his eyes to center himself. He pushed the door open and walked in. 

He focused first on his dad, frailer than he’d ever seen him, hooked up to tubes and machines and sound asleep. And then he spotted his mother. She was sitting in a chair near the bed, staring up at him like she’d seen a ghost. She made a small noise of surprise, then stood, walking over to him. She held a hand to his cheek, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. Daniel stared at her, as stoic as he could be. She pulled him into a hug, which he couldn’t bring himself to return. 

“Where’s David?” he asked. 

“Back at the house, taking care of some things.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows, not in surprise so much as a complete lack of it. Someone had to do the chores, he supposed. 

“Is he still running the business?” 

He already knew the answer, so didn’t pay much attention to her response. He googled it before coming. _Calder and Son_. When Daniel told his father that he didn’t want to follow in his footsteps, he was angrier than he’d ever seen him. At least until he told them he was gay.

Finally, Daniel looked at his father again. His eyes narrowed as he took in his condition. He wasn’t sleeping, he realized. It was much more than that. 

“How long has he been like that?”

His mother turned to glance at her husband. She faced Daniel again. “Let’s go get a cup of coffee,” she suggested. 

Daniel followed her down the hall towards the waiting room. There was no one else in there, so she couldn’t avoid his questioning much longer. Soon, she admitted that he hadn’t been lucid in a while, barely even conscious. He could go at any minute. 

“So, he didn’t really ask to see me?”

After a long pause, his mother admitted, “No. I wanted to see you.”

Daniel didn’t know how to feel about that. One last spike of hurt to know that, even at the end, his dad didn’t want him. A strange kind of hope that his mother did. 

“I wanted to call earlier…after the – the shooting, but…”

“But dad was more important to you than I was,” Daniel offered, trying to hide his bitterness. 

“No. No, I just had to live with him.”

“No,” Daniel countered. “You didn’t.”

“Divorce wasn’t an option for me.”

He laughed humorlessly, looking up towards the corner of the ceiling as he shook his head. “Being gay isn’t an option for me. So…what lost out was you being my mother.”

She didn’t seem to have a response to that, and eventually Daniel stood and left her there. He headed back to the hospital room and went inside. He walked closer to the bed, stopping just next to it and staring down at his dad. He felt angry that he was robbed of the chance to finally say certain things to him, after all this time. Yet he felt resigned to the fact that it probably wouldn’t have made a difference. 

“I don’t forgive you,” he said aloud anyway. “I never will. But I feel sorry for you. You will never know the joy and strength that a happy, loving, whole family brings. You never got to meet a wonderful man or the best daughter in the world. Thank you, actually. Thank you for pushing me away or else I might never have had them. I might never have known what it took to be a good father. Your life was full of hate and disappointment. At the end of my life, no one will be able to say that about me.”

Daniel exhaled a shuddering breath. It wasn’t catharsis, exactly. Or closure. It was…what it was. He leaned over and kissed his father’s forehead, then turned and left the room. His mother stood just outside the door, and she watched as he headed down the hall.

“Are you leaving?” she asked. 

Daniel stopped, but didn’t turn to face her. “I can stay a couple days. I’ll get a hotel room.”

The next morning, his father died. They were all in the room, David included. It felt rather anticlimactic, when it happened. Two days later, they held the funeral. A couple old neighbors and some family members seemed surprised to see Daniel, and no one really spoke to him. Perhaps they just didn’t know what to say, and he supposed he couldn’t blame them because he didn’t either. He shared awkward hellos with David’s wife, who had dutifully sent them a Christmas card every year, and tried to talk to David’s boys, but they didn’t really seem to know how to react to an uncle they’d never met. But he made it through it all, and the next day, his mother came to the hotel for breakfast before he checked out.

As she pulled her coat on, she focused on him. Somehow, he knew what she was going to say before she even opened her mouth.

“I want to…try again. I could call you soon. Maybe come out to Chicago.”

Daniel sighed. “You can’t rewrite history,” he reminded her, “and pretend it was only Dad who had the problem with me.”

“I know. I can’t change the past. Does that mean the future is a lost cause?”

Daniel was silent, struggling. Afraid to get his hopes up, honestly. “You can call. But you can’t visit yet. I need you to prove yourself before I’ll let you into Jira’s life.” 

His mother nodded. “I understand. How – how is she doing?”

“Good. She’s starting college next year. Still misses her dad.”

“And you?”

“I miss him too. But I’m doing better. I’m – I’m seeing someone. He’s great.”

She inhaled, nodding slowly as she breathed it back out. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Daniel didn’t know how to respond, so he simply observed the time and said he had to get going. He kissed her cheek in goodbye, leaving his hometown on a little bit better terms than he had the last time.

**

Liam opened the door on the second knock, wondering who it could be at such a late hour. He was rather surprised to see Daniel. The last time they’d talked, he had been expecting to stay at least one more day. Liam let him in.

“How did things go?”

“It’s over,” Daniel said with a sigh, pulling off his jacket and tossing it onto the couch. 

“Were you planning on coming back this soon or…”

“I was, yes. I didn’t tell any of you because I was hoping Jira could stay over at Tia’s one more night.” The look he gave Liam eloquently implied where he wanted to stay. 

“I mean, it’s so late,” Liam played along. “It would probably be more trouble to get her tonight anyway. Might wake up Benny too, and Tia wouldn’t thank you for that.”

Daniel nodded, looking exhausted. Liam offered him a small smile, then stepped closer. He started pushing him towards the bedroom. Daniel lifted his hands to start unbuttoning his shirt. 

“God, what a week.”

“Want to talk about it?” Liam asked, even as they made it to the bedroom. 

He slowly spun Daniel so they faced each other, then proceeded to undress him. It was the least sexy that act had ever been between them, and he wasn’t entirely sure Daniel even noticed when Liam pushed off his own clothes.

“No, not now. I want to sleep.”

“OK.”

Daniel climbed into bed while Liam shut off the lights. He crawled along the mattress until he could lie down next to Daniel. He wrapped his arms around Daniel and held him close. Minutes passed, with nothing but slow breathing. Just when he was convinced Daniel was asleep, though, he spoke. 

“I told you once that I got to choose my family.”

“Mm-hmm,” Liam acknowledged.

“That…that includes you. I – I choose you. I love you.”

Liam’s mouth twitched, fighting a smile that felt almost inappropriate, considering the circumstances. He inhaled deeply, sliding his hand blindly over until he found Daniel’s and could interlace their fingers. 

“I love you too. I choose you too. And Jira.”

Daniel sighed, in relief and contentment. Perhaps even vague surprise, Liam realized with his next comment. “I can’t believe I actually managed to say that without you stopping me.”

Liam chuckled. “It’s about time we said that for real and out loud, I guess.”

“I’d say so.”

Liam smiled, bending forward to kiss Daniel’s shoulder. “I love you a frankly disgusting amount,” he said.

“We are definitely doing something about this tomorrow,” Daniel declared, snickering. “Too tired right now, but you better believe I’m gonna make love to you in the morning.”

“Damn straight you are,” Liam agreed. 

Daniel shook his head. “Nothing straight about what we’re going to do.”

Liam laughed, before shushing Daniel and telling him to go to sleep already. He must have conked out himself shortly after, but the next time he woke up, it was still nighttime, and things weren’t nearly as funny. He realized it had been the sound of Daniel’s quiet sobs that had pulled him out of his sleep. Liam rolled closer, holding him tightly again. 

Daniel flinched when he realized Liam was awake. “Sorry,” he whispered. “God, I didn’t cry once the whole time I was there. I didn’t think I ever would or even needed to.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Liam assured him.


	13. Chapter 13

“Hey, so…you know how we agreed I’d check with you if I was planning to use the credit card?”

Daniel lowered the newspaper to fix Jira with a look. “Mm-hmm.”

She hesitated just a little too long, increasing Daniel’s curiosity. “I’m going clothes shopping with Tia.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes. There was more to the story, he was sure of it. “Things like that are exactly why you’re an authorized user,” he reminded her. “So why are you being so shifty about it?” 

Jira sighed. “It’s for…a dress. For prom.”

“You’re going to prom?” Daniel asked, feeling his eyes bug out. “You?”

“Yes.”

Daniel blinked. “Did you get asked by someone?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about it, if that was the case. Jira…dating. 

“No,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Riley decided they wanted to go, and convinced me and Matthew we had to do one normal high school thing. So, we’re all going together.”

“Huh. I…did not expect that.”

“Actually,” Jira said, suddenly hurrying over and dropping onto the couch next to Daniel. She turned to face him, hooking one leg up on the cushion. “I kind of think that Riley really just wants to go with Matthew, but was too afraid to ask.”

“What makes you think that?”

Jira shrugged. “Hard to explain. But I don’t think Matthew feels the same way, so I think I’m going to have be the buffer.” She sighed. “I just hope it doesn’t mess up our group, you know?”

“Well,” Daniel said slowly, trying to figure out what kind of advice to give. “I guess the only thing you can do is be a friend to both of them as they work through it. Hopefully they will. Meanwhile, make sure you have fun at prom because all of you deserve that.”

Jira nodded. “So, it’s OK to use the card?”

“Of course, honey.”

She smiled at him and popped up off the couch. “I gotta get going, then. I’m meeting Tia there.”

“Hey, by the way, the school did ask me if I could chaperone the dance. So, if you’re going, maybe…” Daniel trailed off as Jira sighed loudly and long-sufferingly, turning to face him with a rather annoyed expression. “Or not,” he concluded.

“It would be nice to do _one_ normal high school thing without my dad there.”

“Ouch,” Daniel responded, laughing and holding up his hands in surrender. 

“Sorry.”

“It’s OK, punchkin,” he said, picking up the newspaper and starting to read again. “It wasn’t like I was thrilled with the prospect either.” 

So, on the night of prom, Riley and Matthew came over, so Daniel could take pictures of all three of them. Both Liam and Tia also joined them to mark the milestone. By the end of the impromptu photo session, there had been numerous eyerolls, a lot of laughter, and one near disaster when Daniel tried to pin a corsage on Jira and almost ripped the dress. But soon enough, the kids were off, with Tia volunteering to escort them there. 

After Daniel saw them out, he wandered back towards the living room, where he found Liam dozing on the couch, his feet kicked out in front of him and his arms crossed over his stomach. Daniel dropped next to him, immediately wrapping his arm around his waist in a hug. Liam hummed contentedly.

“I’m so glad you’re not chaperoning tonight,” he said.

“You and me both. I didn’t even go to my own prom.”

“Aw, you didn’t?”

“No,” Daniel scoffed.

“That’s so sad.”

“You don’t need to feel sorry for me,” he replied, unable to stop his smile. “I survived.”

“It’s a rite of passage, though. What, were you too cool for it?”

“Very much the opposite. Unlike Jira, I didn’t even have any friends to go with. What about you?”

“Jen Karlson asked me to go. I was too nice and too closeted to tell her she wasn’t my type, so we had a very awkward time with me trying to dance with 4 feet between us while she kept hinting about making out under the bleachers.”

Daniel snorted, but immediately frowned when Liam added, “I really wanted to go with her brother, Travis, to be honest. I had an elaborate fantasy where he’d realize what he was missing out on while her parents were taking pictures.”

“I think I hate him.”

“No need,” Liam said, laughing. “Last time I saw him he was bald and 50 pounds overweight. You’re much hotter.”

Daniel hummed suggestively, sliding his hand around to let his fingers splay low across Liam’s stomach. But Liam didn’t take the hint. Instead, much to Daniel’s surprise, he sat up fully, pulling his phone out of his shirt pocket as he moved. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he started tapping buttons. 

Suddenly, some music started playing, and Liam placed the phone on the arm of the couch. Standing, he faced Daniel and held out his hand. 

“What are you doing?” Daniel asked, amused but game as he took it and let Liam pull him to his feet.

“We’re going to have our own mini-prom. So, you can see what you missed.”

“OK,” Daniel humored him, stepping into Liam’s arms. 

They held each other close. Liam’s fingers pressed lightly into the tops of Daniel’s hips, while Daniel hooked his own arms around Liam’s neck. They swayed slowly to the music. After several moments, Daniel had to admit to himself that it was pretty romantic. He smiled, tilting his head down, eyes closed, as he stepped just a bit closer to Liam. 

“I think this is far better than anything I would have had in high school,” he observed, as the song neared its end. 

Liam chuckled deep in his throat, turning to kiss Daniel’s cheekbone. After a moment, he murmured, “Want to go make out underneath the bleachers?”

Daniel broke into laughter so hard he was completely unable to continue dancing. “What’s wrong with right here?” he finally asked, once he gained control of himself. 

Liam waggled his eyebrows. They fell onto the couch, laughing before engaging in some high-school-appropriate over-the-clothes heavy petting.

**

“Are you heading out soon?” Daniel asked, popping his head into Liam’s classroom.

He looked up, sighing and resting his head in his hand as he turned towards Daniel. Then, he shook his head sadly.

“Some idiot decided to assign final papers instead of an exam. I want to get through at least half of them before leaving, or I’ll never get them graded by the deadline.”

“Rookie mistake,” Daniel teased. “OK, I’ll see you later?”

Liam grumbled as he stretched and then stood. “I’ll take a break and walk out with you.”

Daniel nodded, and as Liam approached him, he rocked towards him, nudging him with his shoulder. “You’re just coming so you can swing by the lounge and get coffee.”

Liam smiled softly, his hand not so accidentally brushing Daniel’s. But there were still lots of students milling around by the lockers, so he didn’t risk more. Instead, he lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. He had quite the crick in it from leaning over to force his way through piles of bad writing. 

“You know what occurred to me the other day?” Daniel asked, sounding kind of strange, just as they pushed through the doors of the school.

“Hmm?”

They stopped at the top of the stairs, facing each other. Daniel hesitated, prompting Liam to raise an eyebrow. Leaning ever so slightly closer, Daniel whispered his response.

“We’ve been together for seven months.”

Liam couldn’t stop his smile. “Have you suddenly become one of those people who celebrate monthly anniversaries? That’s cute.”

“Not really. I just thought – don’t you think it’s time we went public? Fully?”

Liam rocked back to stare at Daniel. He hadn’t even really thought about how blurred the line between _keeping it secret_ and _professional but not really hiding it_ had become. Part of him wondered what people would say, if they’d be gossiped about, or worse if it would somehow become fodder for the news again. How it would change them if everyone _knew_ knew. How much it meant to him that Daniel was finally ready to be open about it. But he couldn’t put all that into words, so he just tried to feel it at Daniel with his eyes. 

He didn’t know what kind of response he was expecting, and so he was rather startled when Daniel suddenly smiled.

“Good luck with the grading. Call me when you get home?”

Liam nodded. 

And then – and then, Daniel leaned forward and gave him a quite chaste goodbye kiss. Which is when Liam finally remembered the relatively large number of students and more than a few teachers sitting outside on the grass and at the tables, enjoying the warm afternoon and the end of the school year. Cheers and whistles erupted around them, and someone shouted _about damn time_. 

They broke apart, laughing. Liam couldn’t even bring himself to look up as he waved in embarrassment and turned to go back inside. 

“Asshole,” he muttered at Daniel, making him laugh louder.

**

Daniel grinned fondly, watching Liam until he made it back inside the school. Then he turned and descended the stairs, just barely stopping himself from hopping down them. He did his best to ignore the buzzing of gossip, as he walked up to the table where Jira, as usual, waited for him. She stared up at him, her phone in her hands and her elbows resting on the table.

“Gross,” she said in greeting. 

Daniel nodded, smiling. “Ready to go home?”

Jira stood, grabbing her backpack and hooking it over her shoulder. She turned and led him towards the road that would take them to the L stop. 

“Will you get in trouble for that?” she wondered. 

He shrugged. “Probably not. If they try, I’ll just remind them that Mr. and Mrs. O’Leary don’t hide their relationship. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll remind them that we’re endowing a scholarship for graduates of the school.”

Jira tilted her head curiously. “We are?”

“If we have to,” Daniel joked.

Laughing, Jira stepped closer and grabbed his hand as they headed home.

**

The next time they were all back at the school was for graduation, and Tia and Ethan were with them. Luckily for Benny, they left him with Suzanne to get ready for the party. They stood in a small group, talking until just before the ceremony was supposed to start, when they all split to head to the places where they should be. Daniel walked with Jira as long as he could. As they approached the throng of students attempting to line up in alphabetical order, he pointed at the cap in her hands.

“You know, you were all expressly told you couldn’t decorate those.”

“Yeah, I’m not the only one,” she argued back.

Daniel fought a smile. “No one ever listens to those instructions,” he acknowledged. “It’s not like the school can punish you anymore, anyway.”

She held it up and they both looked at the white tape that spelled out <3 U Dad. They both were silent for a moment.

“I just…want to feel like he’s part of the day.”

“I understand.”

They stopped and looked at each other. Daniel pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. 

“I love you too,” she murmured.

“I know. I love you. And I’m so proud of you. He would be too.”

She squeezed him even tighter, sniffing quickly, before pulling away and jogging over to join her fellow graduates. Daniel walked away, going to find his spot near Liam and the other teachers. Later, during the ceremony, he finally got to take part in the long-standing tradition that he’d been looking forward to for almost two decades, stepping in for the principal as he handed his child her diploma. It was bittersweet, because he always imagined how a busting-with-pride Harrison would be recording it from the audience. On the other hand, the loud cheers from the family they had built this year made it special in a different way.


	14. Chapter 14

Daniel moaned, turning to bury his head in his pillow and stretching his limbs out. The sun was up, filling the room with light despite the curtains, and even just the sheet was too much in the warmth of its rays. He pushed it off, sighing as he turned to his back. 

“Gonna be a hot one,” Liam observed. 

He sounded too far away, and Daniel furrowed his brow, reaching his hand out and finding Liam’s side of the bed empty. He cracked open his eyes to see him sitting on the foot of the bed, already dressed and bending over to pull on his shoes. 

“You sneaking out of your own place?” Daniel asked, half-seriously. “Kind of a weird walk of shame.”

Liam laughed, standing up and turning towards Daniel, revealing he was actually wearing exercise clothes. Daniel blinked, appreciating the way the shirt hung on him. 

“No,” Liam responded, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed closer to Daniel. “It’s officially summer. A group of friends have met up to play football every other Saturday since college. Although,” he added saucily, leaning down to kiss Daniel, “I’m not sure I can even move after last night.”

Daniel winked at him, before asking “Football or soccer?”

“_Real_ football.”

“So, soccer.”

“You’re culture-less,” Liam scolded, making to stand up. 

Daniel reached out, grabbing his arm to keep him where he was. “You didn’t think to mention this before now?”

“You weren’t really interested in talking when you showed up at my door last night,” Liam reminded him, “and, well, I forgot about it. You were very distracting.”

“Do you have to go?”

Liam dropped his mouth open in faux-shock. “I’m the goalie!”

“Let me see if I’ve got this straight – it’s a beautiful Saturday morning, Jira’s at that college dorm thing this weekend, and you’re leaving me here _all alone_ in your bed to go kick around a ball.” He sat up, moving his hand from Liam’s arm to the back of his neck, pulling him close enough to kiss. He lowered back onto the mattress, coaxing Liam down with him. He mumbled against his lips, “If you want to get all sweaty and burn some calories, I know a much better way we can do that.”

Liam moaned, sinking into the kiss before pulling away and sitting up again. Daniel reached up, trying to stop him without luck.

“You could come along,” Liam pointed out, reaching out to cup Daniel’s cheek before sliding his hand down to rest it on his chest. “Meet my friends, watch me be all athletic, get jealous watching me be physical with other men. And then…” he dropped eye contact, focusing his gaze on Daniel’s torso as he started moving his hand even lower. “Drag me back here, hot and bothered, for a little ‘ball playing’ of our own.”

Daniel closed his eyes, shuddering in pleasure as Liam punctuated that statement with some pleasurable groping. After a moment, he forced his eyes open again, breathing deeply and sighing it back out. “That depends on your answer to one question.”

Liam cocked a curious eyebrow.

“When you play,” Daniel asked, lifting his hand to push Liam’s hair off his forehead, “does this little curl of hair fall into your eyes? Because if it does, I’m not sure I won’t be arrested for indecent exposure. You know what that little curl does to me.”

Liam snickered, leaning down to kiss him quickly. “Let’s risk it,” he suggested. 

With a groan, Daniel sat up again. “When do we have to leave here?”

Liam twisted to look at the clock. “Half an hour, at the latest. Want some breakfast or just coffee?”

“Breakfast, please.”

Liam nodded, darting forward to drop another peck on Daniel’s lips. He stood up and walked out of the room, towards the kitchen. After a moment, Daniel forced himself to climb out of the bed and head to the bathroom.

“Hey, question,” he shouted after Liam, after something disturbing occurred to him.

“Yes?”

“Are any of these friends exes?” The last thing Daniel needed was to compete against a younger guy who actually played team sports on a Saturday for fun. 

“Starting with the jealousy already, huh?”

“Is that a yes?”

“No,” Liam replied. “Not a one.” 

“Good.”

Liam’s bark of laughter followed Daniel into the bathroom.

**

“Happy 4th,” Liam greeted Ethan, as he walked up to the picnic table and put a couple bags of chips down. “How long have you been out here to get this spot?”

“Hey, man,” Ethan said, turning briefly away from the smoking grill to nod at him and then look across the crowded park. Tia and Benny waved back at them from the swings a few yards away. “A long damn time. You beat Daniel and Jira, though.”

Liam nodded. “Jira just texted. They’re almost here. Need any help?”

“Nah, it’s all good. Beers are over there.” Ethan tilted his head, before shooting him a somewhat confused expression. “Or wait, you’re not supposed to drink, right?”

“I’m not supposed to be gay either,” Liam replied, laughing. He walked over to the cooler and grabbed a bottle. “I will take a burger rather than a hot dog though.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure those are pork anyway.”

“My point exactly,” Liam joked, grinning as he twisted the top off his beer and took a swig. 

Their conversation was interrupted by a shouted hello. They both looked up to spot Daniel and Jira walking closer. Benny suddenly ran past them, to get scooped up in a hug by Jira. As they arrived at the table, Liam bent down to grab another beer for Daniel. Daniel put down the cake he was carrying, then leaned closer to kiss Liam hello before reaching across the table to shake Ethan’s hand. Tia had joined them by then, and the overlapping conversations became difficult to follow as they all started to set the table and Ethan turned back to finish the grilling. 

After they stuffed their faces full of patriotic food, they sat around the table, talking, laughing and digesting. Liam was maybe the first to notice the significant glances Ethan and Tia gave each other, and he narrowed his eyes. 

“What is it?”

Tia looked at him, then the others. She took a breath, looking very anxious. 

“Ah, Benny has some exciting news he wants to share.”

Ethan bent down next to Benny, putting his hand on his back as he whispered something to him. Benny bounced in his seat, seeming thrilled that he was the focus of attention and able to share a secret. 

“I’m gonna be a big brotha!”

It took a second to register, and then everyone was cheering and talking over each other. Liam glanced at Jira, relieved to see her reaction was entirely happy. She covered her mouth with her hands before bouncing out of her seat and rushing around the table to hug Tia. He glanced at Daniel, then, watching as he high-fived Benny. Liam grinned, then offered his own congratulations.

**

The sun was setting and the evening breeze was actually a little cool, but no one was ready to call it a day yet. On one side of the table, Tia leaned against Ethan, his arm around her shoulders. And on the other, Jira and Daniel sat side-by-side, sharing a piece of cake. Occasionally, they’d glance up to watch a giggling Benny run away as Liam chased him, having volunteered to tire him out when the boy had grown too antsy to sit still any longer.

Liam had just caught him, and Benny shrieked happily as Liam picked him up and flipped him over his shoulder to dangle upside down. Daniel smiled fondly as he watched them, then focused on the cake again. 

Just as he took a bite, Tia asked, rather slyly, “Have you two talked about having more kids?”

Daniel choked, lifting a hand too late as he started coughing and spraying crumbs everywhere. Once he regained control of himself, he shook his head. “No. No, no, no. No.”

“He’d be a good dad.”

Daniel didn’t really have a response to that. He looked over at Jira, who was just listening to the conversation with a gaping mouth, shocked and amused. She looked back and forth between him and Tia, and then spoke.

“Wait! Tia could be the surrogate.”

“Ah – ” Tia tried to interrupt, holding up a finger. 

“And then, Benny, your new baby, this hypothetical kid and I would all be related!”

“Well, that’s – ” Tia closed her eyes and held out a hand, shaking her head in a _slow down_ sort of way.

“Let’s change the subject,” Daniel cut in. 

A chuckling Ethan nodded in agreement.

**

Daniel couldn’t quite get the conversation out of his head, though. It had thrown him more than he thought it would. They hadn’t really talked about long-term future plans. He knew that he _wanted_ a long-term future, and he was pretty sure that Liam did too. But all that he’d really been picturing so far was Liam moving into the house someday soon, maybe after Jira left for college. And then someday, when they were ready, maybe they’d get married.

He wondered what Liam was planning for their future. Were there things that he wanted beyond that? Did he see them building a larger family? Liam and Jira had grown so close, but did he want kids of his own? He was younger _enough_ to have experienced a different _enough_ world when he was coming of age. Marriage, kids, all those things would have seemed so much more attainable, possibly even inevitable if his parents had their own expectations, compared to the damn-near miracle it had been for Harrison and Daniel. Maybe he hadn’t mentioned it because he just assumed it would be among the eventual next steps for them. 

Daniel loved being a father, but God, he didn’t want to go through all that again. How could he ask Liam to give up the chance though?

He couldn’t stop thinking about it, and he could tell that Liam suspected something was up. Liam didn’t call him on it, though, until the end of the next week. They were at his place that night, while Jira was hanging with Riley and Matthew. They ordered some take-out and were sharing the boxes while sitting on opposite ends of the couch, legs intertwined. Daniel was trying to participate in the conversation, but he knew he was not being particularly successful.

“OK, what’s going on?” Liam finally asked. “You’ve been weird for days.”

“I…” 

Daniel sighed. He leaned over to put his food on the coffee table. Picking up on the sudden seriousness, Liam did the same, then sat up, closing the distance between them. He stared at Daniel, a hint of nerves on his face as he waited. 

“What – what do you think of Tia being pregnant?” Daniel asked, trying to ease into it. 

Liam furrowed his brow. “I’m happy for them,” he replied, as if it should be self-evident. “And I’m glad Jira took it well.” He shrugged, indicating he was wondering if he was supposed to be feeling something else about it.

Daniel shook his head slightly, looking up to the corner. That was an angle he could take. “I’m so happy that you care so much about Jira,” he said hesitantly, a pit in his stomach forming as he wondered if this was going to be a deal-breaker for them. “And you’re really good with Benny. And – and – and we need to talk about that, because…” He took a breath and then blurted, “I’d be well into my 60s, almost 70, before another kid graduated high school and I’m not sure I want to even try that. You’d be a wonderful father, and I don’t want to take that away from you, so maybe we should – ”

Liam started laughing, cutting him off. Daniel narrowed his eyes, looking at him in confusion until he began talking.

“I like kids. I love Jira. And I have a great time with Benny and probably will with the baby too.”

Daniel nodded. 

“But,” Liam continued, stressing the word, “I don’t need or even want my own.”

Daniel blinked. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Liam agreed, laughing again. “Oh. You could have just asked me instead of freaking out and, I don’t know, trying to break up or whatever you were just doing.”

Daniel blew air out, smiling and nodding as he accepted the teasing. “Sorry. I just…want you to be happy.”

“I am,” Liam assured him. “I think maybe this is a sign we should talk more about what, uh, our future does look like. But as long as we have one, I’m ecstatic.”

“Me too,” Daniel replied, reaching out to take his hand.

Liam one-upped him, leaning forward to kiss him. “I love you, even when you’re dumb.”

“I love you,” Daniel said, kissing him back deeper and longer. “Even when you call me dumb.”

With a grin, Liam shifted around, climbing to his knees and using the additional leverage to push Daniel to his back. He stretched out on top of him, one hand immediately going to Daniel’s pants. He blindly undid the button and zipper, reaching inside to grab hold of Daniel. Daniel reveled in the pleasure, breathing shakily into Liam’s mouth. 

They didn’t speak again for a while, far too focused on making love. More clothes were removed as they started rocking and rubbing together earnestly, and Daniel tried to slide his hands everywhere over Liam’s body. Small, soft moans and whimpers spurred him on. Soon, though, he grumbled as Liam pulled back and propped himself on his elbows. He pressed his hips down, rotating them slowly, so Daniel knew there wouldn’t be a very long interruption to their current activities. He took the opportunity to catch his breath, staring up at Liam and sliding his fingers through Liam’s hair. 

“I know we aren’t trying to make a baby,” Liam said, prompting Daniel to roll his eyes. “But we never did finish that talk about giving up condoms.”

Daniel watched him, feeling many mixed emotions. He found himself completely unable to speak.

“Any, uh, thoughts or concerns about that?” Liam asked, clearly confused by the lack of response. 

Daniel shook his head quickly. “No,” he finally forced himself to say. “No, and I’m definitely still…in favor of that. You?”

Liam grinned, collapsing slightly in relief. “I’m – yeah. I’ve never…without, but I want to. With you.”

“OK.” Daniel nodded, a grin growing on his face. “OK. So, let’s just…keep going.”

He barely got the words out before Liam was kissing him again, somehow even more enthusiastically than he’d just been. And a few minutes later, when he reached out for the coffee table drawer, he deliberately pulled out only the lube.

**

Daniel leaned against the door to Jira’s room. It was starting to look really different, as she packed up some things and culled others.

“You won’t be moving for a while,” he reminded her.

“I know,” she agreed, looking at him from where she stood in the middle of several boxes. “But I didn’t realize how much stuff could accumulate in such a small room after 18 years.” 

“I’m not kicking you out,” Daniel said, chuckling. “You can leave stuff here.”

“I can’t believe you’re objecting to me cleaning my room and getting rid of old junk.”

“Well, when you put it – are you throwing away your stuffed animals?!”

Jira laughed, walking over to hug him. He squeezed her back tightly. “Your little girl is growing up. But no, that’s a to-keep box.”

Daniel smiled. He lifted his hand to teasingly tug at the chain around her neck. The ring on it clicked against the ring still on his own finger. 

After a moment, Jira suggested hesitantly, “I could put that one on this chain too. Free up your finger for…other things.”

Daniel bent down to kiss the top of her head. “A little too early to be talking about things like that, punchkin.”

“OK. Just. Something to keep in mind for the future.”

He nodded, not sure how to respond. He had been thinking that he should…anyway. He separated from her, and started to leave her alone to her project. He had just stepped into the hallway when his phone buzzed, and he pulled it out to read the text.

“Speaking of – Liam wants to know if we want him to bring pizza or Chinese for movie night.”

“Pizza!”

**

Liam yawned, barely able to keep his eyes open by the end of the second movie. As Daniel hit stop, returning to the Netflix home screen, Liam sat up, stretched, and checked the watch on his wrist. It was getting late.

“I suppose,” he said. 

“Oh, come on,” Jira said from where she was lying on the floor. “Just stay here.” 

Liam opened and closed his mouth, unsure how to respond. He looked at Daniel, who seemed equally thrown. Jira stood up, walking away while they both tried to recover. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, turning to face them.

“Really, it’s stupid that Liam has his own place anyway. He should just move in. I don’t want Dad to be lonely when I’m gone.”

She shot them an innocent-imp smile, before turning away and going up the stairs. Liam stared after her a few moments, then finally faced Daniel. Daniel scooted closer, a smile growing on his face.

“Do you…want to stay?”

“Do you want me to?”

Daniel nodded, reaching out and taking his hand. He lifted it, kissed it. It was then that Liam noticed that Daniel had removed his wedding ring at some point since he last saw him. Between that and the look in his shining eyes, Liam was suddenly feeling damn giddy. 

“She just called me Liam,” he pointed out, in case Daniel hadn’t noticed.

“I heard,” he said, grinning. “So, answer me. Do you want to stay?”

“I never want to leave,” Liam confessed, breathing out.

Daniel lifted his head, the happiness on his face growing even more. “OK.”

“OK.”

And with that, Daniel stood, using their clasped hands to pull Liam to his feet. Then, he led him upstairs to the – their bedroom.


End file.
